f 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGr/cULTURE. 

BUREAU  OF  SOILS— MILTON  WHITNEY,  Chief. 

IN  COOPERATION  WITH  THE  IOWA  AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION, 
C.  F.  CURTISS,  DIRECTOR;  W.  II.  STEVENSON,  IN  CHARGE  OF  SOIL 

SURVEY;   P.  E.  BROWN,  ASSOCIATE  ;  UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WRIGHT  COUNTY, 

IOWA. 


BY 

T,  11.  BENTON,  OF  the  Iowa  Agricxtlturai.  Experimext 

Station,  Iisr  Charge,  and  C.  O.  JAECKEL,  of  the  U.S. 

Department  of  Agriculture. 


THOAIAS  D.  RICE,  Inspector,  Northern  Division. 


(Advance  Sheets — Field  Operations  of  the  Bureau  of  Soils,  1919.] 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE. 

1922. 


BUREAU  OF  SOILS. 


Milton  Whitnky.  Chief  of  Hurvau. 
Albert  G.  Kkk,  Chief  Clerk. 

SOIL  SURVEY. 

Curtis  F.  Marbut,  In  Charge. 
G.  W.  Baumaxn,  I'liceutive  Anxistant. 

coMMrnKK  ON  the  correlation  and  (lasstktcation  of  soils. 

(.'urtis  V.  Marbut.  Chuirmun. 
Hugh  H.  Bennett.  In.spector,  Southwn  Division. 
W.  Edward  Hearn,  Inspector,  Soutliern  Divi.siou. 
Thomas  D.  Rice,  Inspector,  Nortliern  Division. 
\V.  E.  McLendon,  Inspector.  Northern  DivisioiL 
Macy  H.  Lapham,  In.spector,  Western   Division. 

Louise  L.  Martin,  ISccfetary. 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

BUREAU  OF  SOILS— MILTON  WHITNEY,  Chief. 

IN  COOPERATION  WITH  THE  IOWA  AGRICULTUKAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION, 

C.  F.  CURTISS,  DIRECTOR;  W.  II.  STEVENSON,  IN  CHARGE  OF  SOIL 

SURVEY;   P.  £.  BROWN,  ASSOCIATE  IN  CHARGE. 


SOIL  SUHVEY  OF  WRIGHT  COUNTY, 

IOWA. 


BY 

T.  H.  BENTON,  of  the  Iowa  Agricultural  Experiment 

Station,  In  Charge,  and  C.  O.  JAECKEL,  of  the  U.  S. 

Department  of  Agriculture. 


THOMAS  D.  RICE,  Inspector,  Northern  Division. 


(Advance  Sheets — Field  Operations  of  the  Bureau  of  Soils,  1919.] 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE. 

1922. 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL. 


U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture, 

Bureau  of  Soils, 
Washington,  D.  6\,  July  29,  1921. 
Sir  :  Under  the  cooperative  agreement  with  the  Towa  Aji^ricultural 
Experiment  Station,  C.  V.  Curtiss,  director,  a  soil  survey  of  Wright 
Coiint}"^  was  carried  to  completion  duriiii!;  the  field  season  of  1919. 

I  liavc  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  the  manuscript  and  map 
covering  this  work  and  to  recommend  their  publication  as  advance 
sheets  of  Field  Operations  of  the  Bureau  of  Soils  for  1919,  as  author- 
ized by  law. 

Respectfully, 

Milton  Whitney, 

Chief  of  Bureau. 
Hon.  H.  C.  Wallace, 

Secretary  of  Agriculture. 
2 


SRLF 
"Pi 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 
Soil  Survey  of  Weight  County,  Iowa.    By  T.  H.  Benton,  of  the  Iowa 
Agricultural  Experiment  Station,  In  Charge,  and  C.  O.  Jaeckel,  of 

the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture 5 

Description  of  the  area 5 

Climate 11 

Agriculture   . 12 

Soils   1 21 

Carrington  sandy  loam 24 

Carrington  fine  sandy  loam 25 

Carrington  loam   26 

Webster  loam 27 

Webster  silty  clay  loam 29 

Clarion  loam 31 

Fargo  loam 33 

Fargo  silty  clay  loam 33 

Buckner  loam 34 

O'Neill  loam 35 

Bremer  silt  loam 36 

Waukesha  loam 37 

Wabash  loam  .     37 

Wabash  silty  clay  loam 38 

Peat    38 

Muck 39 

Summary 40 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


figure. 

Page. 
Fig.  1.  Sketch  map  showing  location  of  the  Wright  County  area,  Iowa 5 

MAP. 

Soil  map,  Wright  County  sheet,  Iowa. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WRIGHT  COUNTY,  IOWA. 


By  T.  H.  BENTON  of  the  Iowa  Agricultural  Experiment  Station,  In  Charge,  and 
C.  O.  JAECKEL,  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture. — Area  Inspected  by 
THOMAS   D.   RICE. 

DESCRIPTION   OF   THE  ABEA. 

Wright  Coiint}^,  Iowa,  is  located  about  midway  between  the  center 
of  the  State  and  its  northern  boundary  and  lies  in  the  third  tier  of 
counties  south  of  the  Minnesota  State  line.  The  southeastern  corner 
of  the  county  is  G6  miles  due  north  of  Des  Moines.  The  county 
is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Hancock  County,  on  the  east  by  Franklin 
County,  on  the  south  by  Hamilton  County,  and  on  the  west  by  Web- 
ster and  Humboldt  Counties.  It  is  composed  of  16  townships,  form- 
ing an  approximate  square,  and  comprises  an  area  of  575  square  miles, 
or  368,000  acres. 

The  area  lies  wholly  within  the  region  overrun  by  the  Wisconsin 
ice  sheet,  and  the  topography  is  largely 
conshnictional ;  that  is,  the  surface  fea- 
tures were  formed  by  the  deposition  of 
glacial  debris  and  not  modified  to  anj^ 
great  extent  by  subsequent  erosion.  The 
county  has  two  general  types  of  to- 
pogTaphj',  a  relatively  smooth  till  plain 
and  a  morainic  hilly  region.  A  line 
drawn  from  the  center  of  the  northern 
boundary  of  the  county  to  a  point  on  the 
southern  boundary  about  5  miles  west  of 
the  southeastern  corner  will  roughly  divide  the  till  plain  on  the  west 
from  the  morainic  hills  on  the  east. 

The  till  plain  is  characterized  by  nearly  level  to  undulating  topog- 
raphy. Boone  Eiver  and  its  few  tributaries  have  not  yet  eroded 
valleys  but  flow  in  narrow  channels.  Their  minor  drainage  ways  have 
not  penetrated  over  the  whole  surface,  so  that  areas  of  several  square 
miles  may  be  untouched  by  streams,  and  many  streams  that  penetrate 
flat  areas  do  not  as  yet  carry  away  efficiently  the  surplus  water.  The 
flat  topography  and  restricted  drainage  are  indicated  by  the  fact 

5 


Fig.  1. — Sketch  luai-t  .showing,'-  lo- 
cation of  the  Wright  County 
area,  Iowa. 


6  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE    BUREATt   OF   SOILS,   l»li). 

that  tho  soils  over  tlio  ^ivuter  i)art  of  this  phiin  show  ovidonco  of  poor 
draina^a'  either  at  the  ])resent  time  or  until  within  a  very  recent  stao:e 
of  their  (leveh)i)nient.  No  hikes  occur  in  this  phiin  except  Wall 
T^ake,  near  its  eastern  border. 

The  morainic  part  of  the  county  possesses  a  greater  variety  of  topo- 
graphic featui'es.  The  region  consists  of  a  gently  to  sharjjly  rolling 
j)lain  traversed  by  chains  of  morainic  hills.  Some  parts  of  this  mo- 
rainic section  are  almost  as  smooth  as  the  till  plain,  but  the  general 
average,  even  at  some  distance  from  the  moraines,  is  more  rolling. 
The  morainic  hills  range  in  prominence  from  mere  swells  to  sharply 
rounded  hills  which  stand  up  above  the  general  level  of  the  country. 
A  very  prominent  chain  of  hills  occurs  a  few  miles  northeast  of 
Clarion,  along  the  eastern  side  of  Elm  and  Cornelia  Lakes.  Branch- 
ing fi-om  this  chain  of  hills  a  small  range  extends  southward  about 

7  miles,  passing  2  miles  east  of  Clarion.  Another  chain  leaves  the 
main  range  west  of  Dows,  extends  in  a  northeasterly  direction,  and 
crosses  the  county  line  about  3  miles  north  9f  Dows.  This  range  is 
cut  through  by  the  Iowa  Eiver.  In  the  vicinity  of  Dows  a  few  iso- 
lated hills  or  mounds,  which  are  so  regular  in  shape  as  to  appear  arti- 
ficial, rise  above  the  general  level  of  the  plain  to  a  height  of  40  or 
50  feet.  The  land  surface  in  the  morainic  area  is  almost  unchanged 
by  the  effects  of  erosion.  Many  marshes  and  sloughs  wind  among  the 
hills,  but  no  drainage  channels  have  begun  rapid  erosion.  Nearly 
one-third  of  the  total  area  of  the  morainic  region  is  either  flat  or 
lacking  in  drainage  outlets,  so  that  it  shows  effects  of  poor  drainage. 

A  chain  of  shallow  lakes,  ranging  in  size  from  320  to  1,200  acres, 
lies  along  a  north-and-south  line  a  little  east  of  the  .center  of  the 
county.  Morse,  Cornelia,  and  Elm  Lakes  lie  in  the  morainic  hills, 
while  Wall  Lake,  the  largest,  lies  in  the  level  prairie. 

First  bottoms,  or  alluvial  flood  plains,  are  developed  along  all 
the  main  streams  and  for  distances  of  from  1  to  5  miles  along  their 
tributaries.  They  range  from  50  feet  to  about  three-eighths  of  a 
mile  in  width.  Second  bottoms,  or  terraces,  are  found  only  along 
the  Iowa  River,  the  West  Branch  of  the  Iowa,  and  the  Boone  River, 
and  along  a  small  creek  which  enters  the  Iowa  River  about  3| 
miles  south  of  Dows.  On  this  creek  and  at  Belmond,  on  the  Iowa 
River,  two  terraces  are  developed,  one  about  8  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  first  bottom  and  the  other  about  15  feet  higher. 

The  highest  elevation  in  the  county  occurs  on  the  morainic  divide 
just  east  of  the  center  of  the  county.  Three  miles  east  of  Clarion 
the  altitude  is  given  as  1,240  feet  above  sea  level.  The  lowest 
elevation,  1,108  feet,  is  in  the  west-central  part  of  the  county  at 
Goldfield.    This  gives  a  variation  of  132  feet  between  extremes. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   WRIGHT   COUNTY.   IOWA.  7 

The  county  has  a  simple  natural  drainage  S3'stem,  rather  poorly 
developed,  since  a  longer  period  is  needed  to  develop  an  elaborate 
network  of  streams  than  has  elapsed  since  the  drift  was  deposited. 
Two  rivers  and  their  few  tributaries  carry  all  the  drainage  water 
of  the  county.  The  tributaries  have  the  form  of  natural  streams 
only  a  short  distance  from  their  mouths,  their  upper  courses  having 
been  straightened  and  deepened  by  dredging.  Many  large  open 
drainage  ditches  and  covered  concrete  mains  empty  into  them.  Some 
sloughs  and  depressed  areas  are  still  undrained. 

The  northern  and  eastern  parts  of  the  county  are  drained  by  the 
Iowa  River  and  its  few  short  tributaries.  This  river  enters  the 
county  4  miles  north  of  Belmond,  takes  a  general  southeasterly 
course,  leaves  the  county  1  mile  north  of  Dows,  reenters  it  about 
one-half  mile  south  of  Dows,  skirts  the  county  line  for  3  miles, 
and  then  turns  abruptly  eastward  into  Franklin  County.  The 
winding  channel  of  the  Iowa  River  has  a  somewhat  narrow  flood 
plain,  ranging  from  a  few  hundred  feet  to  three-eighths  of  a 
mile  in  width.  The  current  is  rather  slow  except  during  high  water. 
A  continuous  terrace,  or  second  bottom,  from  one-eighth  mile  to  2 
miles  in  width,  extends  from  the  north  boundary  of  the  count}^ 
along  the  river  to  within  2^  miles  of  Belmond.  It  reappears  north 
of  Dows  and  follows  the  river  throughout  the  rest  of  its  course  in 
the  county.  Three  and  one-half  miles  south  of  Dows,  where  the 
river  leaves  the  county,  the  terrace  extends  back  nearly  3  miles 
along  a  small  creek,  which  has  been  dredged  to  accelerate  its  slug- 
gish current.  It  has  an  average  width  of  about  one-half  mile  along 
this  creek. 

The  West  Branch  of  the  Iowa  River  enters  the  county  5  miles 
northwest  of  Belmond  and  joins  the  main  stream  one-half  mile  north 
of  Belmond.  Its  present  channel  at  the  county  line  and  northward 
is  a  large  dredged  ditch. 

The  Boone  River  and  its  tributaries  drain  the  rest  of  the  county 
west  of  the  morainic  hills.  This  stream  flows  in  a  channel  ranging 
from  about  10  feet  below  the  level  of  the  upland  where  it  enters  the 
county,  to  60  feet  below  where  it  crosses  the  southern  boundary.  It 
is  sluggish  and  meanders  back  and  forth  across  its  bottom  land, 
which  is  from  20  feet  to  about  one-fourth  of  a  mile  wide.  Occa- 
sional broken  strips  of  bench-like  terraces  well  above  overflow  are 
found  in  the  concave  bends  of  the  river.  At  the  lower  end  of  the 
river  these  terraces  are  about  30  to  40  feet  above  the  stream.  The 
valley  walls  range  from  short,  gentle  slopes  along  the  upper  course 
to  steep,  nearly  parallel  walls,  50  to  60  feet  high,  where  the  river 
leaves  the  county. 


8  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    THH    BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1919. 

Otter,  Ea«;le,  and  AVhite  Fox  Creeks,  tributaries  of  Boone  River, 
have  cut  channels  throu<;h  the  fhit  prairies.  They  are  characterized 
by  narrow  bottom  lands,  winding;  courses,  short,  gently  sloping  val- 
ley walls,  and  slu<rgish  flow.  All  have  a  <;eneral  southwesterly 
course.  'J'he  natural  draina<re  alonfj^  the  Boone  Kiver  and  these  trib- 
utaries is  limited  to  the  adjacent  farms,  and  in  many  eases  almost 
to  the  channels  of  the  sti'eanis  themselvt^s,  tiu'  topo<j:rai)hy  being  such 
that  in  places  the  tlrainage  of  the  upland  is  actually  away  from  the 
streams. 

Artificial  channels  in  the  u]^per  courses  of  the  tributaries  increase 
their  capacity  to  carry  the  drainage  water  from  the  intricate  network 
of  open  ditches  and  large  concrete  mains  which  have  been  built  to 
drain  the  flat  interstream  areas.  About  $1,000,(K)0  has  been  si)ent  to 
date  on  these  artificial  drainage  waj^s.  The  fall  in  the  ditches  aver- 
ages about  1  foot  to  the  mile.  The  tiling  is  so  extensive  as  to  aflford 
a  continuous  flow  of  water  in  many  open  ditches,  and  the  flow  is 
strong  enough  to  maintain  the  channel.  In  many  of  the.se  large 
ditches  48-inch  concrete  tile  is  being  laid  and  covered  over,  thus 
eliminating  the  expense  of  redredging  certain  sections  of  the  ditches 
where  wind,  weathering,  and  cattle  have  gradually  filled  them.  Be- 
cause of  the  very  gradual  fall,  only  a  slight  filling  is  necessary  to 
impair  the  drainage  efficiency. 

The  only  native  forest  areas  are  scattered  strips  on  the  slopes 
adjacent  to  the  streams  and  lakes  and  on  the  narrow  first  bottoms. 
The  growth  consists  of  red  cedar,  cottonwood,  aspen,  quaking  asp, 
willow,  walnut,  butternut,  hickory,  oak,  elm,  ash,  basswootl,  sumac, 
hackberry,  cherry,  and  other  hardwood  trees.  Artificial  plantings 
for  windbreak  ])rotection  are  mostly  of  cedar,  spruce,  pine,  wallow, 
cottonwoinl,  ash,  and  maple. 

The  water  supply  for  stock  and  domestic  use  generally  comes  from 
drilled  wells  25  feet  deep.  In  the  higher  central  part  of  the  moraine 
belt  a  lift  of  from  50  to  lUO  feet  is  required  in  tlie  deep  wells,  while 
farther  east  on  the  lower  ground  the  water  rises  nearly  to  the  surface. 
In  the  lower  part  of  the  valley  of  the  Iowa  River,  and  at  Belmond 
and  Dows,  flowing  wells  have  been  obtained.  In  the  greater  part 
of  the  western  half  of  the  county  the  water  rises  to  wnthin  a  few  feet 
of  the  top  of  the  wells,  or  above  the  surface  in  the  lower  areas. 
Two-thirds  of  the  western  part  of  the  county  is  in  the  artesian-w^ater 
district,  which  is  said  to  have  more  flowing  wells  for  its  size  than 
any  other  area  in  the  country.  It  is  stated  that  a  flow  can  be  ob- 
tained at  some  point  on  approximately  half  of  the  farms.  The  w^ater 
is  of  excellent  quality,  and  wells  in  that  area  have  never  been  known 
to  go  dry.  A  few  springs  are  found  along  the  slopes  of  the  Boone 
River.  Some  windmills  are  in  use,  but  gasoline  engines  are  gen- 
erally used  for  pumping. 


SOIL   SXTRVEY   OF   WEIGHT   COUNTY,   IOWA.  9 

The  first  settlers  came  into  Wright  County  from  Hamilton  County 
in  1854  and  settled  along  the  streams  in  wooded  areas  that  afforded 
fuel  and  shelter  during  the  Avinter  and  protection  from  prairie  fires 
during  the  summer.  Most  of  these  pioneers  were  originally  from 
New  York,  Indiana,  Ohio,  Missouri,  and  Illinois.  Prior  to  this 
trappers  and  United  States  soldiers  were  the  only  whites  here.  In 
1830  the  southern  part  of  the  county  was  ceded  to  the  Government  by 
the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians,  and  the  northern  part  by  the  Sioux.  The 
county  was  established  in  1851.  The  first  settlements  of  importance 
were  made  near  the  present  town  site  of  Woolstock,  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  county.  The  northern  part  was  settled  much  later  by 
homesteaders,  mostly  of  Scandinavian  descent.  In  the  southern  half 
of  the  county  farmers  of  French  extraction  predominated,  with  those 
of  German  extraction  second.  At  present  people  of  German  descent 
have  largely  displaced  the  French.  Many  other  nationalities  are  now 
represented,  some  having  been  attracted  to  the  county  in  recent  years 
by  the  beet-sugar  industry.  They  include  Russians,  Mexicans, 
Greeks,  Italians,  Poles,  and  Austrians. 

This  particular  region  was  among  the  last  in  the  State  to  be  oc- 
cupied. This  can  be  accounted  for  in  part  by  the  poor  drainage  of 
the  broad,  level  prairie  lands,  which  were  simply  a  continuation  of 
shallow  sloughs  and  ponded  areas  most  of  the  year.  Further,  much 
of  the  land  was  in  the  hands  of  speculators,  who  held  it  at  relatively 
high  prices,  and  homeseekers  did  not  stop  here  but  continued  west, 
toward  the  Missouri  River,  where  fertile  and  better  drained  farm 
lands  could  be  obtained  for  much  less. 

According  to  the  1920  census,  the  total  population  of  the  county  is 
20,348.  Somewhat  more  than  65  per  cent  of  this  is  rural,  giving  a 
density  of  22.8  persons  per  square  mile.  The  farming  population 
is  rather  uniformly  distributed  over  the  county,  being  only  a  little 
more  concentrated  near  the  large  towns.  Probably  the  northeastern 
corner  is  slightly  less  densely  populated  than  the  average.  Clarion, 
with  a  population  of  2,826,  is  the  county  seat.  It  is  a  division  point 
on  the  Chicago  Great  Western  Railroad,  Avhich  gives  direct  connec- 
tion with  Chicago,  Omaha,  and  St.  Paul.  It  is  an  important  trad- 
ing center  and  shipping  point  for  cattle,  hogs,  poultry,  and  grain. 
Eagle  Grove,  population  4,433,  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the 
county,  is  the  largest  town.  The  Chicago  &  North  Western  Railroad 
shops  are  located  here.  It  is  also  an  important  distributing  point 
and  center  for  live  stock  and  agi-icultural  products.  Belmond,  in 
the  northeastern  part  of  the  county,  has  a  population  of  1.797.  A 
large  cement-tile  works  and  a  beet-sugar  factory  are  situated  in 
this  place.  Dows,  an  important  trading  center  located  on  the  county 
line  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  county,  has  a  population  of  1,145. 
63164°— 22 2 


10  FIKLK    OI'KHATIONS    OT    Till.    lUKKAr    OK    SOILS,    lf>19. 

OlluT  towns  of  local  iiii[>oitaiicc  are  (Joldlield,  w  itli  a  population  of 
749;  Woolstock,  witli  2J)4 ;  Kowan,  with  .'502,  and  Gait,  with  134. 
Olaf,  in  the  noitliorn  part  of  the  county,  is  a  local  tiadinf;  center 
and  shipping'  point,  (rrain  elevators  arc  located  at  Palsville,  Cor- 
nelia, Solher^r,  Florence,  and  Nuel.  There  are  no  towns  away  from 
railroads. 

The  railroad  racilitios  of  tlio  county  are  fair,  no  farm  hein<;  more 
than  12  miles  from  a  .'^hij)i)in^  point.  The  Chicago  (ireat  Western 
Kailroad  runs  dia<ronall3'  across  the  county  from  northeast  to  south- 
west throujih  Palsville,  Belmond,  Cornelia,  Florence,  P^agle  Grove, 
and  Nuel.  At  Clarion  the  main  line  to  Chicaj^o  turns  directly  east- 
ward, providing  transjiortation  and  market  facilities  for  Solberg 
and  Rowan.  The  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific  line  passes  through 
Goldlield,  Clarion,  Gait,  and  Dows.  At  Dows  a  branch  line  extends 
to  the  north  through  Rowan  and  Belmond.  The  Chicago  &  North 
Western  lines  traverse  the  county  in  a  northwesterly  direction,  pass- 
ing through  AVoolstock,  Eagle  Grove,  and  Goldficld.  A  branch  of 
this  line  extends  northwest  from  Eagle  Grove.  The  Minneapolis  & 
St.  Louis  Railroad  passes  through  Olaf  and  Belmond.  These  roads 
provide  tran.sportation  to  the  various  large  markets. 

The  wagon  roads  of  the  county  are  mostly  of  earth.  Extensive 
plans  are  in  progress  for  improving  and  graveling  the  main  high- 
wa3's  in  the  immediate  .future.  A  few  of  the  main  highways  have 
been  surfaced  with  gravel  and  can  be  used  for  autos  and  trucks 
practicall}"  the  entire  3'ear.  The  Diagonal  Trail  runs  from  east  to 
west  through  the  center  of  the  county,  and  the  Albert  Lea  Road 
runs  along  the  eastern  side  from  north  to  south.  The  less  important 
roads  are  nearly  all  graded  and  during  the  summer  are  kept  in  good 
shape  by  dragging.  E.xcept  along  the  rivers  and  streams  where 
topography  prevents,  the  roads  generally  follow  land  lines. 

The  county  is  liberally  supplied  with  rural  mail  routes,  and  prac- 
tically all  farms  have  telephone  service. 

The  public-school  systems  are  well  developed,  and  schools  are 
accessible  to  all  communities.  The  rural  districts  around  Rowan 
have  consolidated  and  established  an  excellent  school  there.  Other 
rural  schools  in  the  county  are  independent. 

Excellent  houses  and  other  farm  buildings,  mostly  of  wood  con- 
struction, are  generally  found  throughout  the  county. 

The  important  local  markets  are  Clarion  and  Eagle  Grove.  A 
large  proportion  of  the  live  stock  and  other  agricultural  products  is 
sold  to  local  buyers,  although  a  few  producers  ship  direct  to  the 
larger  citie.';.  Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Sioux  Cit}',  and  Omaha  are  the 
principal  markets  for  the  products  of  tlie  farm. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   WRIGHT   COUNTY,   IOWA.  11 

CLniATE, 

The  climate  of  Wright  County  shows  wide  variation  in  tempera- 
ture, the  difference  in  extremes  being  140°  F.  It  is  nevertlieless 
healthful  and  suitable  for  the  growing  of  staple  crops  common  to 
this  region. 

The  mean  annual  precipitation  is  32.36  inches.  The  greatest  an- 
nual rainfall,  42.58  inches,  occurred  in  1918,  while  the  least,  20.38 
inches,  fell  in  1910.  The  rainfall  is  generally  well  distributed 
through  the  growing  season,  about  73  per  cent  falling  from  April 
to  September,  inclusive.  The  rain  usually  falls  slowly  and  gently. 
Occasionally  convectional  storms,  some  accompanied  by  hail,  cause 
considerable  damage  in  narrow  belts  of  country. 

Owing  to  the  high  moisture-holding  capacity  of  most  of  the  soils, 
the  periods  of  drought  that  sometimes  occur  during  the  growing 
season  have  never  caused  a  crop  failure.  How^ever,  crops  on  the 
sandy  ridges  and  gravelly-subsoil  terraces  suffer  considerably  dur- 
ing such  periods.  Excessive  rainfall  is  more  apt  to  be  injurious  to 
the  crops  than  drought. 

The  mean  temperature  of  the  summer  is  70.5°  F.,  the  highest  tem- 
perature on  record  being  103°  F.  Periods  of  excessive  heat  are 
generally  of  very  short  duration.  Prevailing  summer  wdnds  are 
from  the  south  and  southwest.  Strong  winds  are  common,  but 
tornadoes  are  of  very  rare  occurrence. 

The  winters  are  usually  quite  cold,  the  temperature  averaging 
r7,5°  F.  Heavy  snows  are  of  usual  occurrence,  the  average  annual 
snowfall  amounting  to  about  2  feet.  Frequently  the  drifting  snow 
causes  mucli  trouble  by  blockading  roads  and  railroads. 

Clover  and  wdieat  arc  not  infrequently  injured  by  wnnter  killing. 
The  winds  in  the  wnnter  generally  come  from  the  northwest,  and 
nearly  every  farmstead  has  a  windbreak  of  trees  on  that  side  for 
protection.  Narrow,  broken  belts  of  timber  along  the  rivers  and 
creeks  afford  the  only  natural  protection  in  the  county. 

The  earliest  recorded  killing  frost  in  the  fall  occurred  on  Septem- 
ber 17,  and  the  latest  in  the  spring,  on  May  17.  The  average  date 
of  the  first  killing  frost  in  the  fall,  however,  is  October  5,  and  the 
average  date  for  the  last  in  the  spring  is  May  6.  This  gives  an 
average  growing  season  of  152  days. 

The  heavy  prairie  soils,  because  of  their  moisture-holding  capacity, 
arc  rather  slow  in  warming  up  in  the  spring,  and  early-maturing 
varieties  of  corn  should  be  planted  to  avoid  injury  by  fall  frosts. 
On  the  lower  lying  lands  especially,  even  where  the  drainage  is  well 
established,  it  is  important  to  grow  the  earlier  maturing  varieties 
of  corn  to  insure  a  normal  crop. 


12 


I'lKI-D    ()PKR.\TIONS    OF    THK    MTRKAIT    of    SOIT.S,    IM^). 


Tlic  follow  inir  tiilik',  ^i\in^'  normal  monthly,  seasonal,  and  annual 
Irmix'iatiiic  and  pivcipitation,  is  taken  from  the  records  of  the 
\\'catlier  llui'caii  stalion  at   Hclinond: 


.\(>nii(tl    inoiillihi,    scdminiil.    tnid    (iiniKdl    hiii iicnit tire    inul    prrripitnt inn    (it 

r>i  IukdkI. 

(KlPMition,  1,205  feet.) 


Temporaturc. 

I'reclpitation. 

Month. 

.Mean. 

Al)so- 

liilc 

niaxi- 

niiini. 

Ab.so- 
lute 
niini- 
niiim. 

Mean. 

Total 
amount 
for  llio 
tirii'st 
year 
(1910). 

Total 
amount 
for  the 
wettest 
year 
(1918). 

22.6 
12.3 

17.5 

'F. 
56 
51 
00 

"F. 
-26 
-37 

-28 

Inches. 

1.14 

1.42 

.94 

Inches. 

0.38 

1.51 

.22 

Inche-'. 
1.22 

January 

February 

1.38 
.63 

17.5 

60 

-37 

3.50 

2.11 

3.23 

March 

April 

May 

31.1 
47.1 
58.9 

84 
93 
92 

-20 
6 
25 

1.22 
2.72 
5.71 

.23 
1.04 
3.52 

.93 

2.12 
10.48 

Spring 

45.7 

93 

-20 

9.65 

4.79 

13.53 

June      .  .  .  

fiS.O 
73.0 
70.4 

98 
103 
101 

36 
42 
34 

4.62 
3.58 
3.05 

3.05 
3.13 
3.58 

8.37 

July          

4.21 

3.40 

70.5 

103 

34 

11.25 

9.76 

15.98 

September 

October 

November 

61.8 
49.7 
37.2 

100 
86 
76 

24 

4 

-  5 

3.96 
2.76 
1.24 

2.14 
1.25 
.33 

2.56 
4.34 
2.94 

Fall 

49.6 

100 

-  5 

7.96            3.72 

9.84 

45.8 

103 

-37 

32.36 

20.38 

42.58 

AGRICULTURE. 


The  agricultural  development  of  Wrifrht  Countj^  began  in  1854 
with  the  incoming  of  the  first  settlers.  The  first  farms  Avere  situated 
along  the  wooded  streams,  and  it  was  only  after  the  developmenr, 
of  artificial  drainage  that  settlers  in  any  number  attempted  to  farm 
the  heavy,  black,  flat  prairie  land.  Patches  of  barley,  flax,  and 
wheat  for  home  use  were  the  first  cro])s  grown.  Flax  Avas  soon  aban- 
doned because  it  was  so  hard  on  the  Avheat  crop  following,  making  a 
differance  of  about  one-third  in  the  grain  yield.  Corn  and  oats  were 
not  brought  in  until  1875  to  1880.  As  late  as  the  nineties,  part  of  the 
prairie  land,  with  its  luxuriant  growth  of  nutritious  grasses,  re- 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   WRIGHT   COUNTY,   IOWA. 


13 


mained  in  open  ran^^es.  Cattle  were  driven  in  from  Hamilton  and 
Franklin  Counties  in  the  snninier  to  graze  and  were  taken  back  in 
the  fall. 

With  the  advent  of  railroads  in  1880  and  1881  settlers  began  com- 
ing in  very  rapidly.  At  that  time  only  29.9  per  cent  of  the  land  of 
the  county  was  under  cultivation.  At  present  93.6  per  cent  of  the 
area  is  in  farms,  and  about  90  per  cent  is  improved.  At  first  spring 
wheat  was  the  principal  cash  crop,  but  with  the  introduction  of  oats 
and  early  varieties  of  corn  these  crops  became  more  important. 

Grain  growing  and  the  raising  of  live  stock  have,  since  the  very 
first  settlements,  been  the  main  agricultural  industries. 

The  table  given  below  shows  the  acreage  and  production  of  the 
principal  field  crops  as  reported  in  the  United  States  census  of  1880 
to  1920.  inclusive. 

Acreage  mid  prodiiet'ron  of  pvlnoiijul  field  crops,  census  JSSO  to  1D20,  inclusive. 


Corn. 

Oats. 

Wheat. 

Hay  and  forage. 

Barley. 

Census 

year. 

Acres. 

Bushels. 

Acres. 

Busliels. 

Acres. 

Bushels. 

Acres. 

Tons. . 

Acres. 

Bushels. 

1879. . . . 

25, 263 

997, 750 

8,010 

262,639 

16, 858 

204,289 

7,218 

11,553 

461 

9,626 

1889. . . . 

68, 982 

2,245,013 

48,594 

2,102,332 

4,161 

74, 407 

70,090 

84,656 

2,696 

90,629 

1899. . . . 

103, 524 

3,829,660 

79,627 

3,201,250 

18,058 

293, 850 

51,838 

63,751 

5,857 

192, 220 

1909.... 

99, 659 

3,468,716 

79, 556 

1,985,823 

1,364 

21,721 

89,608 

119,525 

3,037 

52,611 

1919.... 

106,805 

4, 154, 115 

89,219 

3,112,637 

2,761 

39, 246 

45,403 

93,973 

1,839 

40,279 

A  very  large  increase  in  the  total  acreage  in  crops  has  occurred 
since  1880,  owing  in  great  measure  to  the  reclamation  of  poorly 
drained  areas.  Corn  has  been  the  leading  crop  since  the  early 
eighties,  and  at  present  nearly  35  per  cent  of  the  improved  land  of 
the  county  is  annuall}'  planted  to  this  crop.  The  average  yield  in 
the  five  years  covered  by  the  census  ranges  from  35  to  38.9  bushels 
per  acre.  Except  for  a  phenomenal  increase  from  1880  to  1890,  the 
acreage  of  oats  shows  about  the  same  rate  of  increase  as  the  acreage 
of  corn.  Oats  is  an  important  cash  crop.  Until  after  1900  wheat 
was  one  of  the  more  important  cash  croi)s.  Since  that  time  its 
production  has  rapidly  decreased. 

Until  the  late  eighties  the  prairie  was  open  range.  The  inclos- 
ing of  this  open  range  accounts  for  the  871  per  cent  increase  in  hay 
and  forage  crops  cut  in  1879  and  1889.  Barley  is  grown  on  a 
considerable  acreage,  but  has  shown  a  steady  decrease  since  1900. 
The  average  yield,  as  reported  by  the  1920  census,  was  22  bushels 
per  acre.  Flax  was  formerly  raised  on  a  large  acreage,  but  its  pro- 
duction has  gradually  decreased  until  now  only  an  occasional  crop 
is  grown  on  sod.  Very  small  acreages  of  buckwheat,  rye,  and  emmer 
are  sown. 


14  I'lHLD   OPKRATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,   1919. 

At  ])ri.'sc'iit  tlir  pit'vuiliii^i'  ty|»i'  of  a^riciiliui-t'  consists  ol"  ^i-.iin 
growing  iiiul  llu'  liiisin^  aiul  IccMliiio-  of  hoos.  ciitlk',  luul  other  live 
stock.  Corn,  outs,  luiy,  barley,  wheat,  (lax,  rye,  and  allalla  are  the 
chief  crops,  named  in  order  of  their  importance.  A  considerable 
(juantity  of  oats  and  shelled  corn  has  been  sold  direct,  especially  in 
the  last  few  years,  because  of  the  hi<i;h  cash  grain  market.  How- 
ever, the  bulk  of  the  crop  is  fed  to  cattle  and  hogs,  and  a  small 
part  to  work  stock.  The  grain  that  is  sold  is  practically  all  shipped 
through  privately  owned  or  cooperative  grain  elevators,  which  are 
located  in  every  part  of  the  county. 

The  live-stock  industry  in  Wright  County  consists  mainly  of 
the  raising  and  feeding  of  cattle  and  hogs.  A  few  sheep  are  raised, 
and  some  western  feeders  are  shipped  in  to  be  finished  for  market. 

The  raising  of  hogs  is  the  most  important  branch  of  the  live-stock 
industry.  On  January  1,  1920,  there  were  79,427*  hogs  on  farms. 
Purebred  stock  is  mostly  of  Poland-China,  Duroc-Jersey,  and  Ches- 
ter White  breeds,  but  mixtui'es  of  these  breeds  predominate.  Pure- 
bred sires  are  commonly  used,  but  there  are  only  a  few  purebred 
herds  in  the  county.  Most  of  the  i)igs  are  farrowed  in  the  months 
of  March  and  April  and  are  marketed  at  a  weight  of  a))out  250 
pounds.  Corn  and  tankage  are  used  for  finishing.  Some  shorts, 
ground  oats,  and  l)arley  are  fed.  Several  carloads  of  stock  hogs 
are  shipped  in  annually  from  Omaha  and  Sioux  City  for  fattening. 
Most  of  the  hogs  are  marketed  in  Chicago  and  St.  Paul,  a  few  going 
to  Omaha.  The  larger  feeders  shij)  carload  lots  direct  to  the  market, 
but  most  of  the  hogs  are  handled  by  local  buyers  and  shipping  asso- 
ciations at  Clarion  and  Goldfield. 

The  Ijeef-cattle  industry  is  second  in  importance  to  hog  raising. 
About  90  per  cent  of  the  cattle  raised  for  beef  are  grade  Shorthorns. 
Quite  a  number  of  grade  Angus  are  fed.  The  total  number  of  beef 
cattle  in  Wright  County  January  1,  1920,  was  27,593.  Many  west- 
ern feeders  are  shipped  in  during  the  latter  part  of  September  and 
the  first  pai't  of  October  and  marketed  in  December  and  January. 
Most  of  these  are  handled  around  P'agle  (rrove,  Dows,  and  Clarion. 
They  are  kept  on  pasture  until  the  middle  or  last  of  November, 
then  finished  on  corn,  molasses  feed,  and  cottonseed  meal.  Rough- 
age is  mostly  silage,  timothy  hay,  and  clover  hay.  Some  straw  and 
fodder  and  shredded  fodder  are'  fed.  A  number  of  purebred  herds 
are  scattered  over  the  county.  Polled  and  Horned  Herefords  pre- 
dominate, Aberdeen-Angus  being  second,  and  Shorthorn  third.  A 
considerable  number  of  purebred  animals  for  breeding  puri:>oses  are 
shipped  out  of  the  county  every  year.  Purebred  sires  are  now  owned 
on  nearly  every  farm  where  beef  cattle  are  raised. 

Small  flocks  of  sheep  are  found  in  different  parts  of  the  county, 
mainly  in  the  east-central  and  western  part,  on  the  roughest  farms. 


1 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   WRIGHT   COUNTY,    IOWA.  15 

The  total  number  of  sheep  in  the  county  is  given  as  6,540  in  1*J2(), 
and  the  total  wool  clip  is  28,867  pounds.  A  few  western  feeders 
are  shipped  in  each  year  from  Omaha  and  Sioux  City.  Most  of  the 
sheep  are  grades,  with  some  purebred  Shropsliires  and  a  few  Ox- 
fords and  Southdowns. 

The  horses  raised  in  the  county  are  mostly  farm  chunks  and  light 
drafters.  In  1920  there  were  15,465  horses  in  the  county,  and  543 
mules.  A  few  colts  are  raised  every  year  to  take  the  place  of  the 
older  animals  which  are  sold.  From  8  to  12  horses  usually  are  kept 
on  each  farm.  A  few  purebred  Percherons  are  raised,  mostly 
around  Rowan  and  Solberg.  There  are  also  a  few  purebred  Shires 
and  Belgians. 

Dairying,  at  one  time  a  very  important  industry  in  Wriglit 
County,  is  now  carried  on  in  only  a  small  way.  The  production  is 
barely  sufficient  to  supply  farm  needs  and  the  local  markets.  Most 
of  the  dairy  cattle  are  grade  Holstein  and  grade  Shorthorn,  with 
a  few  of  the  Jersey  and  Guernsey  breeds.  There  are  a  few  excel- 
lent dairy  herds  in  the  county^  located  mostly  around  the  larger 
towns,  where  the  products  are  locally  consumed.  Cooperative 
creameries  are  located  at  Clarion,  Belmond,  Goldfield,  and  Eagle 
Grove.     Cream-buying  stations  are  located  in  nearly  every  town. 

Poultry  raising  is  an  important  industry.  Every  farm  has  a 
flock  that  yields  a  good  annual  revenue.  The  number  of  poultry 
on  farms  January  1,  1920,  is  given  as  245,222  chickens  and  7,943'' 
other  poultry,  and  the  eggs  obtained  during  1919  amounted  to 
957,790  dozens.  Considerable  attention  is  paid  in  some  localities  to 
purebred  chickens.  Buff  Orpington,  Rhode  Island  Reds,  White 
and  Buff  Wyandotte,  and  Barred  Plymouth  Rock  have  the  preference 
in  the  order  named.  A  good  many  ducks  and  geese,  some  turkeys, 
and  a  few  guinea  fowds  are  also  raised.  The  products  are  marketed 
through  local  buyers,  who  ship  to  larger  markets. 

Corn  is  the  most  important  field  crop  in  the  county  and  occupied 
106,805  acres  in  1919.  It  is  grown  on  practically  all  soil  types.  The 
average  yield  is  fairly  constant.  Moisture  conditions,  however, 
cause  considerable  local  variation.  The  black  prairie  soils,  where 
well  drained,  will  produce  on  an  average  slightly  higher  yields  than 
the  lighter  and  more  rolling  sandy  types  of  soil.  The  average  yield 
for  1919  was  38.9  bushels  per  acre.  According  to  an  estimate  from 
the  local  farm  bureau,  an  average  of  from  40  to  45  bushels  is  pro- 
duced. White  and  yellow  dent  corn  are  grown  exclusively.  A  gen- 
eral preference  is  shown  for  the  yellow  corn,  with  Reids  Yellow 
Dent,  16  to  20  row,  holding  first  place.  Other  popular  varieties 
grown  are  Silver  King,  Little  Iowa,  Silver  Mine,  Minnesota  13.  and 
Murdocks  Yellow  Dent.  The  slower  heavy  soils  and  the  climatic 
conditions  have  necessitated  selection  of  early-maturing  varieties. 


16  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1019. 

ISfost  of  the  seed  planted  now  is  selecteil  IVoni  the  cril)  and  is  more 
or  less  mixed.  A  compariitively  small  nninhcr  of  the  farmers  test 
seed  foi'ii  before  j)lantin^.  Corn  is  «i;eneially  planted  from  the  1st 
to  the  loth  of  May.  Most  of  the  land  is  plowed  in  the  fall,  from  4 
to  0  imljes  deep,  depending  on  the  soil  ty|)e.  The  corn  is  practically 
all  check  rowed.  Jn  the  sprin<^  the  land  is  double  disked  and  gone 
over  with  a  spike-tooth  harrow  before  planting.  The  first  cultiva- 
tion is  fi'om  .'i  to  4  inches,  the  later  ones  fi'om  U  to  2  inches  deep. 
A  small  acreage  is  drilled  and  is  used  for  silage  and  fodder.  The 
crop  is  harvested  from  about  the  middle  of  October  to  the  last  of 
November.  The  bulk  of  the  crop  is  husketl  in  the  field  and  hauled 
to  the  crib,  where  it  is  generally  handled  with  a  power  elevatpr. 
Probably  5  per  cent  is  shocked  and  hauled  out  to  be  fed.  A  com- 
mon practice  is  to  fence  olf  small  portions  and  hog  down,  very  little 
being  fed  to  cattle  in  the  field.  The  larger  part  of  the  crop  is  used 
to  feed  hogs,  cattle,  and  work  stock.  The  surplus,  which  is  sold  to 
local  elevators,  is  husked  at  the  crib  and  shelled  by  power  outfits 
moving  from  farm  to  farm.  There  is  a  tendency  to  sell  most  of 
the  corn  on  tenant  farms  rather  than  feed  it.  Occasionally,  in  wet 
seasons,  considerable  damage  is  done  by  cutworms,  wireworms,  and 
the  root  louse. 

Oats  are  second  in  importance  to  corn  as  a  cash  crop  and  also  in 
acreage.  The  1920  census  gives  the  production  for  the  county  as 
3,112,637  bushels,  with  an  average  of  34.9  bushels  per  acre.  Ordi- 
narily the  yields  range  between  40  and  50  bushels  per  acre.  Early 
and  late  oats  hold  about  an  even  place  in  acreage.  The  predominat- 
ing early  varieties  are  Iowa  103,  Kherson,  Early  Champion,  and 
Iowa  105.  Of  the  late  varieties.  Silver  Mine,  Swedish  Select,  and 
Green  Russian  are  the  most  popular.  The  crop  is  sown  from  the 
middle  to  the  end  of  March  and  is  ready  for  harvesting  about  the 
10th  of  July.  Most  of  the  crop  is  sown  on  corn  stubble,  practically 
all  being  broadcast.  The  usual  method  in  planting  is  to  sow,  disk^ 
and  drag,  or  to  disk,  sow,  disk,  and  drag,  the  latter  being  preferred. 
Between  75  and  90  per  cent  of  the  acreage  of  corn  is  sown  to  oats. 
The  climatic  conditions  as  a  rule  are  very  favorable,  but  occasionally 
a  hot  period  during  the  time  the  heads  are  filling  lightens  the  crop 
appreciably.  Until  recently  smut  has  caused  considerable  damage 
to  the  crop,  but  it  now  has  been  practically  eradicated  through  treat- 
ment of  seed  with  formalin  solution,  Chicago  and  St.  Paul  are 
the  principal  markets. 

Wheat  is  now  relatively  unimportant  and  only  a  small  part  of  the 
local  requirement  is  produced.  Spring  wheat  is  grown  almost  ex- 
clusively, principally  because  of  the  uncertainty  of  the  fall-sown 
crop  on  account  of  winter  killing.     According  to  the  Iowa  Agri- 


^ 


SOIL   SURVEY  OF   WRIGHT   COUNTY,  IOWA.  17 

cultural  Year  Book,  the  acreage  of  spring  wheat  in  1918  was  4,028 
acres,  compared  with  393  acres  of  winter  wheat.  However,  the 
winter  wheat  shows  an  average  of  4  bushels  more  per  acre  than  the 
spring  Avheat,  the  average  yield  of  which  is  17.3  bushels  per  acre. 
The  winter  varieties  grown  are  Turkey  and  Iowa  104.  Marquis 
and  Little  Bluestem  are  the  common  spring  varieties.  The  crop 
usually  follows  oats  or  corn,  and  most  of  it  is  grown  on  the  lighter 
and  more  sandy  soils  in  the  east-central  and  western  parts  of  the 
county,  near  the  river.  It  is  generally  sold  from  the  thrashing 
machine. 

Sugar  beets  became  a  crop  of  recognized  possibilities  in  1910.  The 
beets  are  grown  almost  exclusively  on  the  heavier  black  Webster 
soil.  The  silty  clay  loam,  which  has  from  2  to  4  inches  of  loam  on 
the  surface,  and  the  loam  type  are  particularly  adapted  to  this 
crop,  where  properly  tilled.  Recently  rather  large  areas  of  Peat 
soils  have  been  successfully  planted  to  sugar  beets,  yielding  from 
10  to  14  tons  per  acre,  but  the  sugar  content  is  not  as  high  as  in  beets 
grown  on  other  soils.  The  average  yield  is  about  10  tons  per  acre. 
The  crop  is  cared  for  by  foreign  labor,  mostly  Russian  and  Gennan. 
The  erection  of  a  1^  million  dollar  refining  plant  at  Belmond  will 
undoubtedly  increase  the  present  acreage  materially.  The  beets  are 
now  shipped  to  a  factory  at  Mason  City. 

Barley  was  grown  on  1,839  acres  in  1919,  with  a  total  production 
of  40,^79  bushels  and  an  average  yield  of  21.9  bushels  per  acre.  Both 
the  4-rowed  and  6-rowed  varieties  are  grown,  the  latter  being  con- 
sidered the  better.  Barley  is  fed  mostly  to  pigs.  A  very  small 
part  of  the  production  is  shipped  to  outside  markets. 

Hay  and  forage  crops  occupy  an  acreage  next  to  oats.  The  total 
crop  for  1919  is  given  as  93,973  tons  grown  on  45,403  acres.  About 
one-sixth  of  this  was  wild  hay,  most  of  which  is  cut  from  untilled 
depressed  areas  of  Webster  silty  clay  loam.  As  late  as  1900  the 
wild-grass  hay  tonnage  for  the  county  was  nearly  twice  that  of  tame- 
grass  hay.  The  former  has  rapidly  decreased  with  artificial  drain- 
age of  the  farms. 

Timothy  and  clover  mixed  constitute  the  chief  hay  crop  at  present. 
Oats  are  nearly  always  used  as  a  nuree  crop.  A  common  practice  in 
recent  years  has  been  to  add  some  alsike  and  sweet  clover  seed  to  the 
mixture  of  timothy  and  red  clover.  Part  of  the  hay  crop  is  baled 
and  shipped,  but  most  of  it  is  used  on  the  farm.  Considerable  timo- 
thy is  gi'own  separately,  both  for  seed  and  hay.  Where  timothy  is 
grown  for  seed  only,  it  is  cut  about  the  middle  of  July,  generally 
later  than  oats,  and  thrashed  from  the  shock.  A  comparatively 
small  acreage  is  in  clover  alone.  Seed  is  harve|ted  from  a  consider- 
able part  of  the  crop.  On  the  heavier  soils  that  have  been  tiled  little 
63164°— 22 3 


18  FIELD  OPERATIONS  OF   THE   BUREAU   OF  SOILS,   1919. 

tr<jul)lo  lias  Ix'on  oxporieiu't'd  in  ohtainiiii:'  a  cioj).  IIea\'y  stands 
have  been  diHiciilt  to  obtain  because  of  winter  killing. 

Pastures  are  fienerally  permanent.  Most  of  the  pastures  are  lo- 
cated on  poorly  drained  Webster  soil,  which,  because  of  an  abundant 
moisture  supply  throu«rh  the  dry  season,  furnishes  an  excellent 
growth  of  blue  grass,  the  principal  pasture  grass. 

Millet  is  grown  on  a  small  acreage,  some  sorghum  is  raised  for 
forage  and  hogging  down. 

Alfalfa  has  received  jH-actically  no  attention  until  within  the  last 
few  years.  It  is  being  successfully  grown  and  gives  8  cuttings,  aver- 
aging 8  to  3 1  tons  per  acre  for  the  season.  Northern-grown  seed, 
mostly  the  Grim  variety  from  the  Dakotas  and  Minnesota,  is  gener- 
ally used. 

Sweet  clover  grows  luxuriantly  along  the  roadside  over  the  entire 
county.     It  is  grown  on  a  few  farms  for  hay  and  pasture. 

Potatoes  are  a  crop  of  minor  importance,  being  grown  on  1,051 
acres  in  1919  Avith  an  acreage  yield  of  42  bushels.  Small  fields  of  1 
to  3  or  4  acres  are  most  common.  In  normal  seasons  enough  are  grown 
for  consumption  on  the  farm,  with  a  surplus  that  nearly  supplies  the 
local  market.  Early  Ohio,  Rural  Xew  Yorker,  Irish  Cobbler,  and 
Burbank  are  the  most  popular  varieties.  Potatoes  for  seed  are 
raised  commercially  in  sm*ll  quantities.  Sandy,  loamy,  and  peat 
soils  seem  to  produce  the  best  yields.  Potato  blight  and  the  potato 
leaf-hopper  cause  some  trouble. 

Trucking  is  not  carried  on  to  any  extent.  Enough  vegetables  are 
grown  for  home  use.  and  occasionally  a  small  quantity  for  market. 
Considerable  sweet  corn  is  raised  over  the  county  in  small  acreages. 

So}^  beans  are  being  tried  on  quite  a  number  of  farms.  They  are 
planted  w^ith  the  corn  by  means  of  a  special  attachment  on  the  corn 
planter.  The  crop  is  used  for  forage  and  silage,  being  cut,  bundled, 
and  shredded  with  the  corn.  This  nuikes  a  ver}''  nutritious  feed  mix- 
ture. Ito  San,  Manchu,  and  Black  Eyebrow  seem  best  adapted  to  the 
locality.  The  medium  green  and  yellow  are  particularly  desirable 
for  silage  purposes. 

Fruit  is  grown  in  a  small  v^ay  on  practically  every  farm.  Gener- 
ally orchards  are  limited  to  10  to  20  trees,  but  a  very  few  contain 
several  acres.  Insufficient  care  of  trees  and  the  lack  of  windbreaks 
greatly  cut  down  the  yield  of  fruit.  Plums,  cherries,  and  a  few  pear 
trees  are  found,  but  the  apple  is  principally  grown.  The  orchards 
in  the  more  rolling  sections  of  the  county  are  the  most  successful. 
Local  markets  are  mainly  supplied  from  outside  sources,  several  cars 
of  apples  being  shipped  in  every  year.  Strawberries,  gooseljcrries, 
raspberries,  blackbei-ries,  and  grapes  are  raised,  but  in  quantities  that 
hardly  supply  the  local  demand.  Many  farmers  buy  quantities  of 
commercial  canned  fruits  in  the  fall  for  winter  use. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   WEIGHT   COUNTY,   IOWA.  19 

The  systems  of  farmino;  are  quite  uniform  over  the  county.  Ex- 
tensive rather  than  intensive  methods  are  practiced.  Crop  rotation 
is  practiced  to  some  extent  on  every  farm.  On  the  heavier  soils, 
which  lie  more  or  less  flat,  a  rotation  of  corn  and  oats  with  an  occa- 
sional seeding  to  timothy  and  clover  is  the  general  practice.  More 
timothy  and  clover  are  used  on  the  more  rolling  soil  types.  On 
many  tenant  farms  corn  and  oats  have  been  groAvn  alternately,  or 
corn  year  after  year,  with  no  change  or  inclusion  of  legumes  or  green- 
manure  crops.  A^Hieat  is  occasionally  worked  into  the  crop  rotation 
on  lighter  and  more  sandy  soils. 

The  adaptation  of  certain  crops  to  particular  soil  types  is  generally 
recognized,  but  is  not  carried  into  the  system  of  farming  except  in  a 
general  way.  The  staple  farm  crops  are  grown  on  all  types  over  the 
county.  The  black,  heavy  prairie  soils,  where  well  drained,  are 
recognized  as  the  strongest  corn  land  because  of  their  high  plant- 
food  and  organic-matter  content.  These  soils,  together  with  Peat, 
Muck,  and  occasionally  the  Clarion  soils,  are  used  for  sugar-beet  pro- 
duction. The  Clarion  loam  also  produces  excellent  corn  and  forage 
crops.  Wheat  is  grown  principally  in  the  southwestern  and  eastern 
parts  of  the  county,  on  the  sandier  and  more  rolling  Carrington  types. 
The  narrow  bottom  or  Wabash  types  are  almost  wholly  used  for 
pasture  because  of  frequent  overflows.  There  is  not,  however,  a 
marked  difference  in  the  types  of  farming  followed  on  the  different 
soils  of  the  county. 

Ordinary  farm  machinery  is  used  on  all  soils  over  the  county. 
The  farm  equipment  usually  consists  of  the  latest  labor-saving  ma- 
chinery. There  were  167  silos  in  the  county  in  191ft.  with  many  new 
ones  under  construction.  Fifteen  thousand  three  hundred  and 
twenty-eight  tons  of  silage  was  put  up. 

New  and  larger  houses  have  nearly  displaced  the  smaller  houses  of 
the  earlier  settlers.  Nearly  all  the  farmhouses  are  of  wood.  Power 
elevators,  gasoline  engines  for  pumping,  .trucks,  and  tractors  are 
used  over  the  entire  county. 

Plowing  is  still  done  mostly  by  horses,  although  an  annually  in- 
creasing acreage  is  being  broken  by  tractors.  Both  the  4  and  5  horse 
hitches  are  used  in  plowing,  5  horses  where  the  heavier  soil  types  are 
worked.  Fall  plowing  is  quite  generally  practiced  when  possible, 
for  the  wet  condition  of  much  of  the  land  will  permit  only  very 
shallow  plowing  in  the  spring,  particularly  in  wet  seasons.  The 
usual  depth  of  fall  plowing  is  from  4  to  6  inches.  The  heavier  soil 
types,  if  plowed  when  too  wet,  bake  on  drying,  the  soil  particles  be- 
coming cemented  together  into  adobelike  clods  that  seriously  in- 
terfere with  the  further  preparation  of  the  seed  bed  and  with  sub- 
sequent cultivation.  Care  must  also  be  taken  on  these  types  to  pre- 
vent the  forming  of  a  hard  and  impervious  plow  sole,  by  changing 


20  rn:Li)  operations  of  tmk  bureau  of  soils,  ioid. 

tlu'  tlcpth  of  plowing  eucli  year.  Such  ti()iil)les  have  heeu  reported 
hy  a  miml)er  of  farmers  on  the  Wei)ster  soils. 

ArtiHcial  (lraina«;e  is  necessary  over  a  hir^je  part  of  the  county  to 
insure  maximum  production.  Lar<re  open  ditches  or  42-inch  con- 
crete tile  mains  are  used  to  conduct  the  excess  water  to  the  natural 
stream  courses.  Laterals  of  various  sizes,  depending  on  the  water 
to  be  carried,  extend  back  in  all  directions  to  the  low  and  depressed 
areas.  In  the  flat  fields  tile  laterals  are  placed  from  4  to  6  rods  apart. 
In  the  smaller  and  heavier  pockets  it  is  necessary  to  lay  them  as  close 
as  50  feet  to  provide  adequate  drainage. 

Ver\'  little  lime  has  been  used  on  the  soils  of  the  county.  The 
local  farm  bureau  rei:)orts  that  six  carloads  of  crushed  limestone 
were  used  in  1918,  mostly  in  the  southeastern  and  southwestern  parts 
of  the  county.  Many  of  the  soil  types  would  be  benefited  by  liming, 
but  a  large  percentage  of  the  black  silty  clay  loam  of  the  Webster 
series  is  slightly  calcareous  at  the  surface,  and  here  application  of 
lime  would  not  be  })rofitable. 

According  to  the  United  States  Census  $4,891  was  expended  for 
fertilizers  on  48  farms  in  1919.  Both  acid  phosphate  and  complete 
commercial  fertilizers  are  used.  Barnyard  manure  is  applied  mostly 
to  corn  land.  The  quantity  produced  is  insufficient  to  maintain  the 
supply  of  organic  matter  in  the  soil,  except  possibly  on  the  heavy 
Webster  soils  that  have  been  in  cultivation  only  a  comparatively 
short  time. 

Weeds  of  many  varieties  give  considerable  trouble,  particularly  in 
wet  seasons.  The  weeds  reported  most  frequently  are  quack  grass, 
cocklebur,  foxtail,  morning-glory,  Russian  thistle,  burdock,  pink 
smart-weed,  and  wild  mustard.  These  occur  in  widely  scattered  lo- 
calities and  generally  only  in  small  patches  in  the  fields. 

There  was  a  rapid  increase  in  the  number  of  farms  in  the  county 
from  1880  to  1900.  but  the  individual  acreage  reached  its  maximum 
in  1900.  The  United  States  census  shows  785  farms  in  1880,  and 
1.885  in  1900.  The  average  size  of  the  farms  increased  from  140  acres 
in  1880  to  a  maximum  of  195.1  acres  in  1900.  The  number  of  farms 
reported  by  the  1920  census  is  1.927,  and  the  average  size  is  given 
as  178.8  acres.  The  Iowa  Agricultural  yearbook  for  1918  reports 
the  total  area  occupied  by  buildings,  feed  lots,  and  public  highways 
as  17,340  acres,  and  the  total  acreage  in  pasture  is  given  as  70.670. 
The  waste  land  that  can  not  be  utilized  for  any  purpose  is  5.935 
acres.    The  majority  of  farms  vary  in  size  from  120  to  200  acres. 

Farms  operated  by  tenants  have  increased  rapidly  in  number,  as 
many  of  the  owners  have  moved  to  tow^n.  The  1920  census  shows 
45.5  per  cent  operated  by  owners,  53.3  per  cent  by  tenants,  and  1.2 
per  cent  by  managers. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   WRIGHT   COUNTY,   IOWA.  21 

Most  tenants  prefer  the  share  rent  system,  cash  rent  being  paid 
for  pasture  hind.  On  the  share  rent  basis  the  owner  generally  re- 
ceives one-half  of  the  crops,  delivered  at  the  elevator.  The  work 
stock  and  farm  implements  are  furnished  by  the  tenant.  In  addition 
cash  is  paid  for  pasture  land.  "\Miere  farms  are  rented  for  cash  the 
ordinary  rates  range  from  $7  to  $15  per  acre,  depending  on  location 
of  farm  and  the  character  of  drainage  and  general  improvements. 
For  a  few  of  the  very  highly  improved  farms  a  rental  as  high  as  $20 
per  acre  is  paid.    Pasture  and  hay  land  rent  for  $5  to  $7  an  acre. 

Recently  sufficient  farm  labor  has  not  been  available,  particularly 
during  the  harvest  time  and  the  corn-husking  season.  Most  of  the 
farm  help  is  hired  by  the  year.  At  the  present  time  (1918)  from 
$40  to  $50  per  month  is  paid,  including  boarcl  and  washing.  A  few 
farms  are  reported  paying  as  high  as  $60  to  $G5.  During  the  grain- 
harvest  season  the  wages  range  from  $3.50  to  $5  per  day;  for  corn 
plowing  $3  to  $3.50;  haying  $4  to  $4.50;  and  for  thrashing  from 
$4.50  to  $5.    Corn  buskers  are  paid  from  6  to  7  cents  per  bushel. 

The  price  of  land  is  quite  variable  over  the  county.  An  unpre- 
cedented rise  in  values  took  place  between  March  1  and  September  1, 
1918.  Some  farms  sold  during  the  latter  part  of  that  season  brought 
twice  the  price  asked  in  March.  All  improved  lands  increased  in 
value  from  $50  to  $100  an  acre.  The  most  highly  improved  farms 
lying  close  to  the  larger  towns  can  now  (1919)  be  bought  for  $325 
to  $400  an  acre,  well-improved  farms  6  to  8  miles  from  town  for 
$225  to  $275  an  acre,  and  poorly  drained  upland,  with  practically 
no  improvements,  and  some  of  the  lighter  sandy  soils  for  $160  to 
$200  an  acre.  The  average  value  of  well-improved  land  is  between 
$250  and  $300  an  acre. 

SOILS. 

The  material  from  which  the  soils  of  "Wright  County  are  derived 
is  drift  of  the  Wisconsin  glaciation.  This  deposit  consists  of  more 
or  less  finely  ground  rock,  sand,  gravel,  and  bowlders  formed  by 
the  action  of  the  ice  on  the  underlying  limestone,  sandstone,  and  shale 
formation.  The  till  plain,  which  comprises  the  smoother  parts  of 
the  area,  is  covered  by  material  spread  out  and  packed  by  the 
glacier  in  its  passage  over  the  region.  This  drift  approaches  a  loam 
in  texture.  The  morainic  hills  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  area  are 
composed  of  more  variable  materials.  The  finer  materials  predomi- 
nate, but  pockets  of  sand,  gravel,  and  bowlders  occupy  the  crests  of 
the  highest  elevations.  Beds  of  gravel  outcrop  in  places  on  the 
steeper  slopes.  The  unmodified  drift  is  a  yellow  or  gray  compact 
mass  quite  retentive  of  moisture.  Limestone  fragments  and  finer 
particles  from  the  same  source  form  a  large  proportion  of  the 
material. 

63164°— 22 4 


22  FIELD  OPERATIONS  OF   THE   BUREAU   OF  SOILS,   1919. 

It  is  now  Itflitved  that  tlio  characteristics  of  the  soil  in  its  pres- 
ent stji«je  of  (k'velopiiunt  have  i)een  (iclermined  to  a  greater  extent 
by  the  soil- form iiii;  })rocesses,  which  have  resulted  in  the  accumii- 
Intion  of  or^^anif  matter  and  in  the  weathei'in^,  leaching,  and  oxi- 
dation of  tlie  matciial  iieai*  the  surface,  than  by  original  differences 
in  the  character  of  the  material. 

The  soils  of  Wrigiit  County  were  developed  under  the  influence 
<d'  a  native  vegetation  consisting  of  a  heavy  growth  of  grasses. 
This  vegetation  was  favored  ])V  a  smootii  but  not  flat  topography 
and  a  rather  high  moisture  supply.  The  original  constructional 
surface  of  the  region,  with  its  poorly  drained  areas  unfavorable  to 
tree  growth,  and  its  heavy  grasses  that  spread  fires,  prevented  the 
encroacliment  of  forest. 

The  heavy  growth  of  grasses,  flourishing  upon  soils  generally  re- 
tentive of  moisture,  resulted  in  tlie  accumulation  of  large  quantities 
of  organic  matter.  This  was  in  the  form  of  finely  tlivided  carbona- 
ceous material,  chiefly  derived  from  decomposed  grass  roots  and  in- 
timately mixed  with  the  mineral  constituents  of  the  surface  soil. 
The  percentage  of  the  organic  matter  and  the  tlepth  to  which  it 
affected  the  color  and  physical  structure  was  determined  very  largely 
by  aAeragc  drainage  conditions.  On  flats  and  in  sloughs  the  black 
organic  matter  extends  to  a  depth  of  "20  to  30  inches,  while  on  the 
high,  well-drained  ridges  it  does  not  affect  the  soil  below  a  depth 
of  a  few  inches.  The  accumulation  is  also  shallow  in  sandy  spots 
where  the  drainage  is  excessive.  Muck  and  Peat  represent  extreme 
conditions  with  respect  to  accumulation  of  organic  matter.  The  de- 
velopment of  the  upland  soils  is  determined  partly  by  the  topographic 
position.  On  the  flat  or  undulating  areas  the  average  moisture  con- 
tent was  formerly  high,  and  the  ground-water  level  was  within  2  or 
3  feet  of  the  surface  and  in  places  higher.  Consequently  there  was 
a  large  accumulation  of  carbonaceous  material  in  the  surface  soil 
and  upper  subsoil,  while  the  lower  subsoil  almost  escaped  leaching 
and  oxidation,  resulting  in  a  deep  black  soil  filled  with  organic  mat- 
ter over  a  light-colored  or  mottled  calcareous  subsoil.  These  are  the 
characteristic  features  of  the  soils  which  have  been  classed  with  the 
"Webster  series.  Similar  conditions  in  the  sloughs  and  dei)ressions 
and  on  the  poorly  drained  terraces  give  rise  to  the  soils  of  the  Fargo 
series. 

Where  the  topograpliy  ranges  from  gently  to  sharply  rolling  the 
better  surface  drainage,  the  more  vigorous  movement  of  the  soil 
water,  and  deeper  aeration  have  resulted  in  leaching  and  oxidation 
to  a  depth  of  3  or  4  feet.  Soils  of  this  group  are  represented  by  the 
Carrington  series  and  occur  along  the  better  drained  stream  valleys 
and  over  the  morainic  hills.  The  typical  profile  has  a  dark-brown 
surface  horizon  with  a  fine  granular  structure,  ranging  in  depth  from 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   WRIGHT   COUNTY,   IOWA.  23 

8  to  18  inches.  This  is  underlain  by  a  horizon  of  dark  brown,  usually 
very  thin  or  only  a  few  indies  in  thickness.  The  lower  subsoil  is 
brown  or  yellowish  brown,  heavier  in  texture  than  the  upper  horizon, 
and  usually  friable  and  coarsely  g^-anular.  The  carbonates  have,  as 
a  rule,  been  removed  to  a  depth  of  more  than  3  feet  below  the  surface. 

To  this  group  of  soils  belongs  the  Waukesha  loam  of  the  terraces. 
It  has  a  profile  similar  to  the  Carrington  in  general  appearance  and 
differs  from  that  series  only  in  topographic  position  and  origin.  Al- 
though it  is  composed  of  material^^  of  alluvial  deposition,  its  compo- 
sition is  probably  not  greatly  different  from  that  of  the  Carrington 
soils. 

The  Buckner  series,  which  also  belongs  to  this  group  of  soils,  has 
dark-brown  soils  underlain  by  brown  subsoils  of  a  similar  texture  to 
a  depth  of  more  than  3  feet.  The  friable  uniform  subsoils  distinguish 
these  soils  from  the  Waukesha  series,  which  have  heavier  subsoils. 

The  soils  of  the  Clarion  series  belongs  to  a  stage  of  development 
intermediate  between  the  Webster  and  the  Carrington  groups.  The 
topography  ranges  from  undulating  to  gently  rolling.  The  series 
occupies  the  more  gentle  slopes  near  the  small  streams  and  poorly 
drained  areas  within  areas  of  the  Carrington  soils.  The  better 
drainage  as  compared  with  the  Webster  soils  has  resulted  in  more 
or  less  leaching  to  a  depth  of  3  or  4  feet.  The  surface  soils  are  dark 
brown  to  black.  The  upper  subsoil  grades  downward  from  a  dark 
brown  into  a  brown,  and  the  texture  is  heavier  than  that  of  the 
surface  soil,  being  a  silty  clay  loam.  The  unweathered  lower  sub- 
soil is  grayish  brown  to  gray,  approaching  the  color  of  the  glacial 
drift  from  which  it  is  derived.  It  has  sufficient  carbonates  to 
effervesce  with  acid,  and  streaks  of  lime  and  lime  concretions  are 
common. 

The  terrace  soils  of  the  Bremer  series  have  also  been  developed 
under  conditions  of  poor  drainage.  The  surface  soils  are  almost 
black  and  usually  have  a  fine  granular  structure.  They  are  under- 
lain by  a  mottled  gray,  yellow,  and  brown  subsoil  somewhat  heavier 
as  a  rule  than  the  surface  soil.  The  carbonates  have  been  largely 
removed  to  a  depth  of  more  than  3  feet,  and  in  this  respect  they 
differ  from  the  Fargo  soils,  which  have  a  higher  percentage  of  lime 
in  the  subsoil. 

The  soils  of  the  O'Neill  series  are  dark  brown  to  black.  The  sub- 
soils are  light  textured .  and  give  excessive  drainage  to  the  soil. 
These  soils  are  leached  of  their  lime  to  a  depth  of  several  feet. 

The  soils  of  the  Wabash  series  were  for  the  most  part  originally 
forested,  but  owe  their  dark  color  to  Ix-ing  made  up  of  recent  alluvial 
deposition  of  material  from  other  dark-colored  soils.     These  soils 


24 


IIHLl)   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1»1!>. 


occur  on  the  tirst  bottonib.  They  are  .siiljject  to  overflow  and  are  for 
the  most  part  poorly  drained. 

The  soils  of  this  area  have  been  (.lillen-ntiated  into  series  on  the 
basis  of  color,  striu-ture,  and  tiie  general  appearance  of  the  soil 
prolile.  The  series  is  further  ditferentiated  into  types  u])(iii  the  basis 
of  texture. 

The  followijig  taljje  <4i\es  the  names  and  the  actual  and  relative 
extent  of  the  soil  types  mapped  in  this  county: 

Areas  o/  dilfcrcnt  soil.'i. 


SoU. 


Webster  sllty  clay  loam 

Webster  loam 

Carriugton  loam 

Clariou  loam 

Wabash  loam 

O'Neil  loam 

Buckner  loam 

Carrlngton  sandy  loam 

Carrington  fine  sandy  loam . 
Muck 


Acres. 


108, 736 
92, 288 
81,216 
51,264 
6,848 
4,608 
4,416 
3, 048 
3,520 
2,944 


Per  cent. 


29.5 
25.1 
22.1' 
13.9 
1.9 
1.2 
1.2 
1.0 
0.9 
0.8 


Soil. 


Peat 

Fargo  silty  clay  loam . . . 
Wabash  silty  clay  loam. 

Waukesha  loam 

Bremer  silt  loam 

Fargo  loam 

Gravel  pits 


Total. 


Acres. 


368,000 


Percent. 


2,432 

0.7 

1,984 

0.5 

1,856 

0.5 

960 

0.3 

7W 

0.2 

384 

0.1 

192 

0.1 

CABRINGTO.V    S.^NDY   LOAM. 


The  surface  soil  of  the  Carrington  sandy  loam,  to  a  depth  of  10 
inches,  is  a  brown  to  dark-brown  sandy  loam.  The  subsoil  is  a 
coarse  yellowish-brown  sandy  loam,  having  a  grayish  cast  and  con- 
taining considerable  silty  material.  Many  small  pieces  of  rock, 
coarse  sand,  and  gravel  are  incorporated  in  both  the  surface  soil 
and  subsoil. 

There  is  a  considerable  variation  in  texture  over  this  type.  The 
more  gentle  slopes  contain  a  higlier  percentage  of  organic  matter 
and  are  of  a  more  loamy  character.  Along  the  tops  and  sides  of  the 
ridges  and  knoblike  crests  of  the  hills  the  surface  covering  is  gener- 
ally a  sandy  to  fine  sandy  loam  underlain  by  loose,  calcareous, 
gravelly  material.  Small  rock  fragments,  assorted  gravel,  and  oc- 
casional bowlders  are  scattered  over  the  surface  and  embedded  in 
the  soil  layer. 

The  Carrington  sandy  loam  is  practically  all  found  in  the  south- 
eastern corner  of  the  county,  in  Blaine  and  Vernon  Townships, 
where  it  occupies  the  conspicuous  extended  chain  of  hills  in  this 
moraine  section.  A  few  smaller  ridges  and  knolls  covered  with 
this  soil  are  scattered  throughout  the  county,  many  of  them  too 
small  to  justify  separate  mapping.  Tavo  miles  northwest  of  Dows, 
in  section  26,  Blaine  Township,  a  prominent  hill  of  glacial  origin — 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   WRIGHT    COUNTY,   IOWA,  25 

a  kame — has  a  gravelly  surface  soil  underlain  at  a  depth  of  15  to 
18  inches  by  a  coarse  calcareous  gravel. 

The  Carrington  sandy  loam  is  easy  to  till  under  a  wide  range  of 
moisture  conditions.  Because  of  the  loose  structure  crops  are  fre- 
quently damaged  in  droughty  periods. 

All  the  staple  crops  are  grown,  including  corn.  Clover  and  forage 
crops  do  well  and  are  particularly  needed  to  help  maintain  the  sup- 
ply of  organic  matter  in  the  soil.  Average  croj)  yields  are  slightly 
less  than  on  the  Carrington  loam. 

The  surface  soil  is  acid  over  most  of  the  type,  except  on  the  nar- 
row areas  along  the  crests  of  the  ridges  and  their  immediate  slopes, 
where  calcareous  material  is  encountered  within  10  to  30  inches  of 
the  surface.  On  the  lower  slopes  an  alkaline  reaction  is  rarely  ob- 
tained. Lime  and  phosphatic  fertilizer  should  prove  profitable  where 
used  in  growing  clover  and  other  legumes.  Rye  is  an  excellent  nurse 
crop  for  clover. 

Because  of  its  loose  and  porous  nature,  this  soil  should  have  par- 
ticular care  after  planting.  A  dry  mulch  should  be  maintained  over 
as  much  of  the  growing  period  as  possible. 

Seasonal  variations  have  considerable  influence  on  production,  the 
higher  yields  being  obtained  in  the  more  moist  seasons. 

The  selling  price  of  the  land  ranges  from  $150  to  $250  an  acre.^ 

CARRINGTON    FINE    SANDY    LOAM. 

The  Carrington  fine  sandy  loam  is  a  brown  to  dark-brown  fine 
sandy  loam  to  a  depth  of  18  to  20  inches,  where  it  passes  into  a 
light  yellowish  brown  fine  sandy  loam,  which  becomes  coarser  with 
depth.  The  content  of  organic  matter  in  the  surface  soil  is  low 
compared  with  the  other  soils  of  the  area,  as  shown  by  the  color. 
The  surface  soils  are  acid  except  on  the  gravelly  ridges.  Gravel 
and  small  bowlders  are  found  on  the  surface  and  throughout  the 
soil  section.  Most  of  the  bowlders  have  been  removed  from  the 
cultivated  fields. 

Numerous  small  outcrops  of  gravellj^  materials  mixed  with 
bowlders  of  assorted  sizes  appear  at  the  sharper  breaks  and  knolls 
along  the  hill  crests.  Gray  calcareous  sand  particles,  loose  or  ce- 
mented to  rocks  and  pebl^les,  are  always  present  in  these  gravel  beds. 

This  type  occupies  broken  hills  and  ridges  north  and  east  of  Elm 
and  Cornelia  Lakes,  and  the  higher  hills  along  the  Iowa  River  from 
5  miles  south  of  Belmond  to  where  the  stream  leaves  the  county 
about  1  mile  north  of  Dows.  It  also  occurs  in  small  disconnected 
strips  and  scattered  areas  north  of  Rowan. 

This  soil  should  be  handled  in  the  same  manner  as  the  Carrington 
sandy  loam. 

^  Land  prices  given  In  this  report  pertain  to  the  year  1919. 


26  FllXD   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,   1919. 

fAKKINrjTON    I.OA.M. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Carrinfifton  loam  is  a  dark-brown,  mellow, 
friablo  loam,  12  to  10  inches  deep,  with  an  av<'ra<:e  depth  of  about  14 
inihes.  This  is  undcrhiin  by  a  yellowish-brown  silty  clay  loam  to 
clay  loam,  faintly  mottled  with  gray  and  yellow  in  the  lower  depths. 
Coarse  sand  particles  and  occasional  (rlacial  j^ebbles  are  scattered 
throu<j:h  the  subsoil  layer.  In  places  a  gritty,  coarse  clay  loam  is 
encountered  at  a  depth  of  28  to  30  inches,  and  iron  stains  are  found 
here  and  there. 

The  Carrington  loam  is  most  extensively  developed  in  the  morainic 
areas  in  the  eastern  half  of  the  county,  where  the  topography  is 
gently  rolling  to  rolling.  Other  areas  are  found  in  the  Avestern  part, 
along  the  Boone  Kiver  and  extending  back  along  its  tributaries. 

The  soil  of  this  type  is  somewhat  variable  in  texture  and  depth. 
In  the  morainic  region  the  surface  soil  is  shallower,  lighter  in  color, 
and  contains  a  higher  percentage  of  fine  sand  than  where  found  on 
the  gentle  slopes  along  the  smaller  stream  courses.  Numerous  out- 
crops of  calcareous  sand  and  gravel  occur  along  the  tops  of  ridges 
and  knolls.  Many  narroAv  draws  and  depressions  lying  between 
these  hills  and  occupied  by  heavy  black  silty  clay  loam  are  included 
in  this  type. 

In  the  southwestern  part  of  the  county,  along  the  steeper  slopes 
of  the  Boone  River,  erosion  has  exposed  large  patches  of  yellowish- 
broAvn,  gritty,  clayey  drift  material.  The  Boone  Eiver,  in  forming  a 
large  bend  about  2^  miles  northwest  of  Woolstock,  has  cut  into  the 
upland,  leaving  a  perpendicular  wall  of  this  till,  30  to  40  feet  high 
and  about  2  miles  in  length.  These  steeper  eroded  hillsides  have 
little  value  except  as  pasture  land.  Many  of  them  are  wooded  and 
support  a  natural  growth  of  bluegrass. 

A  variation  occurs  in  sections  23,  25,  and  36  in  Troy  Township, 
along  the  east  bank  of  the  Boone  River.  Here  the  soil  is  a  whitish- 
gray  silt  loam  at  the  surface  and  passes  into  a  tenacious  grayish- 
brown  subsoil  containing  many  yellow  mottlings  and  some  iron 
stains.  The  subsoil  has  an  imj^ervious  structure  resembling  hard- 
pan.  These  areas  are  small,  flat,  and  scattered,  and  contain  a  total 
of  about  25  acres.  Because  of  their  small  area  and  close  association 
with  the  Carrington  loam  they  were  included  with  this  type. 

In  Belmond  Township,  and  in  small,  widely  separated  areas  on 
some  of  the  flat,  gently  sloping  hillsides,  the  surface  soils  contain  a 
higher  percentage  of  silt  and  less  fine  sand  than  the  typical  Carring- 
ton loam.    The  texture  here  approaches  a  silt  loam. 

The  surface  drainage  and  underdrainage  are  excellent  over  most 
of  the  Carrington  loam.  On  a  few  of  the  broad,  flat  tops,  and  gentle 
slopes  of  the  hills  artificial  drainage  is  beneficial.    Very  few  gullies 


SOIL   SURVEY  OF   WRIGHT   COUNTY,   IOWA.  27 

have  been  formed  by  erosion.  The  areas  of  this  type  vary  consider- 
ably in  elevation,  but  lie  hio^her  than  any  other  soils  in  the  county 
except  the  Clarion  loam  east  of  Clarion. 

Nearly  all  this  type  is  under  cultivation.  The  rougher  and  more 
rolling  areas  adjacent  to  the  streams  are  usually  kept  in  grass. 
Forest  areas  are  confined  to  narrow  slopes  along  watercourses  and 
are  not  extensive. 

This  soil  type  does  not  contain  as  much  organic  matter  as  the 
black  Webster  soils,  but  has  better  natural  drainage,  is  very  pro- 
ductive, and  is  one  of  the  most  desirable  types  in  the  county  for 
general  farming.  The  soil  is  mellow,  easily  worked,  and  warms  up 
early  in  the  spring.  It  has  excellent  moisture-holding  capacity. 
Only  small  parts  of  the  type  on  the  more  sandy  knolls  are  affected 
by  drought. 

The  usual  staple  farm  crops  do  well  on  this  type.  Wheat  growing 
in  the  county  is  largely  confined  to  this  soil.  Raising  and  feeding  of 
beef  cattle  and  hogs  is  carried  on  extensively,  and  some  horses  and 
sheep  are  raised  for  sale.  Most  of  the  apples  and  other  fruits  raised 
are  produced  on  this  type. 

The  crop  yields  are  comparable  with  those  on  the  Webster  soils. 
The  corn  crop  may  be  somewhat  lighter  in  dry  years  but  Avill  outyield 
the  soils  in  the  flatter  areas  in  wet  seasons.  AMieat  yields  15  to  30 
bushels,  with  an  average  of  about  20  bushels  per  acre.  Spring  wheat 
is  grown  almost  exclusively.  Small  grains  mature  from  5  to  10 
days  earlier  than  on  the  heavier  prairie  soils. 

Barnyard  manure  is  applied  on  corn  land.  Some  green-manure 
crops  are  turned  under  to  help  maintain  the  organic  matter  supply. 
Little  commercial  fertilizer  is  used. 

The  surface  soil  over  the  greater  part  of  the  Carrington  loam  is 
acid.  Applications  of  limestone  would  be  beneficial,  particularly 
to  clover  land.  Deeper  plowing  and  more  frequent  raising  and  turn- 
ing under  of  leguminous  crops  to  supplement  the  organic  matter  ob- 
tained'from  the  application  of  barnyard  manures  would  increase  the 
productivity  of  these  soils. 

The  land  values  on  the  Carrington  loam  range  from  $175  to  $300  an 
acre,  depending  on  location,  improvements,  and  general  condition  of 
the  farm. 

WEBSTER  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Webster  loam  is  a  black,  friable,  heavy  loam 
from  10  to  16  inches  deep.  The  subsoil  to  20  to  22  inches  is  a  very 
dark  brown  to  black  plastic  loam,  and  below  this  a  yellowish-brown, 
crumbly  silty  clay  loam,  highly  mottled  with  yellow  and  olive  gray. 
The  subsoil  is  strongly  calcareous  and  contains  many  lime  nodules. 
It  is  very  heavy  and  plastic,  but  is  gritty  in  the  lowest  depths,  where 


28  FIELD  OPERATIONS  OF   THE   BUREAU   OF  SOILS,   1919, 

considerable  coarse  sand  and  occasional  pebbles  are  incorporated. 
The  iinderlyinu:  drift  material,  occurrin*^  below  the  -'i-foot  section,  is 
a  yellowish-brown  to  •2:ray,  mottled  clay  loam,  highly  calcareous  and 
containing;  much  coarse  material.  This  type  has  developed  under 
conditions  of  restricted  draiiia^^e  Avhich  have  favored  the  accumula- 
tion of  large  (piantities  of  organic  matter  in  the  surface  soil  and  pre- 
vented the  rapid  leaching  and  oxidation  of  the  subsoil. 

The  surface  soil  in  the  flatter  areas  is  higli  in  silt  and  clay,  and 
frecjuently  approaches  a  silty  clay  loam  in  texture.  V>'liere  the  sur- 
face relief  is  broken  with  low,  moundlike  elevations,  much  coarse 
material  is  present  in  both  surface  soil  and  sul)Soil. 

Within  areas  of  the  Webster  loam  are  many  large  irregular- 
shaped  depressions  and  formerly  ponded  areas  oc<.upied  by  the 
Webster  silty  clay  loam.  These  two  types,  differentiated  on  the 
basis  of  texture  and  drainage,  merge  so  gradually  in  places  that 
the  boundaries  between  them  must  often  be  more  or  less  arbitrary. 

This  type  covers  the  greater  part  of  the  western  half  of  the 
county.  In  the  southern  half  of  the  county  it  extends  eastward 
over  the  Wall  Lake  region  to  the  morainic  divide  coming  down 
from  the  east-central  part  of  the  county.  Smaller  disconnected 
areas  are  found  in  the  northeastern  corner  of  the  county  and 
throughout  the  morainic  region,  generally  bordering  ponded  areas 
or  poorly  drained  flats. 

Natural  drainage  is  poorly  developed,  owing  to  the  flat  topog- 
raphy, the  only  adequately  drained  parts  being  the  low  mounds 
and  ridges  interspersed  throughout  the  area.  The  run-off  was 
very  slow  imtil  large  ditches  were  dug  to  drain  the  numerous  swales 
and  depressions  in  which  water  collected. 

This  type  forms  some  of  the  most  desirable  land  in  the  State. 
The  soil  is  very  retentive  of  moisture,  and  droughts  have  never 
caused  a  crop  failure.  Excess  o-f  rainfall  during  the  gi^owing  season 
is  likely  to  cut  down  the  crop  yields  materially.  The  soil  is  later 
than  the  Carrington  type,  there  being  a  difference  of  5  to  10  days 
in  maturity  of  crops. 

Most  of  the  type  is  in  cultivated  crops  or  tame  grasses.  In  the 
northeastern  and  northwestern  parts  of  the  county,  on  some  of  the 
poorly  drained  areas,  the  original  prairie  grasses  flourish.  The  only 
forest  areas  are  artificially  i)lanted  windbreaks  and  woodlots. 

Com  is  particularly  suited  to  the  Webster  loam.  It  is  grown 
more  extensively  and  can  be  grown  continuously  for  longer  periods 
on  this  land  than  on  other  types.  '  The  yields  range  from  40  to  80 
bushels  per  acre,  with  an  average  of  about  50  bushels.  Oats  ordi- 
narily produce  from  40  to  75  bushels  per  acre,  and  timothy  and 
clover  IJ  to  1}  tons  per  acre.  Some  clover  and  alfalfa  are  grown 
and  do  well  when  the  soils  are  well  drained.     Alfalfa  vieldg  from 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF   WRIGHT  COUNTY,   IOWA.  29 

3  to  3^  tons  per  acre.  Very  little  wheat  is  grown.  Sugar  beets 
occupy  a  large  acreage  on  this  soil.  They  yield  from  10  to  16  tons 
per  acre,  averaging  about  12  tons.  Potatoes  do  well  in  the  more 
loamy  places,  but  the  tendency  is  to  grow  too  much  vine. 

An  alternation  of  com  and  oats  largely  comprises  the  present 
rotation.  An  occasional  seeding  to  timothy  and  clover  is  coming 
into  practice  on  many  farms.  On  some  tenant  fanns  corn  has  been 
grown  in  the  same  fields  for  a  period  of  years.  Soy  beans  are 
grown  occasionally  in  the  corn  when  it  is  to  be  hogged  down  or 
used  for  silage.  Fruit  growing  is  confined  to  a  few  trees  on  the 
individual  farms. 

Farms  on  this  soil  type  are  well  improved.  Rents  ordinarily 
range  from  $7  to  $15  an  acre,  depending  on  drainage,  productivity 
of  the  farm,  and  improvements.  The  price  of  land  varies  from  $225 
to  $350  an  acre.  A  few  highly  improved  farms  located  near  Eagle 
Grove  and  Clarion  sold  recently  (1919)  for  $400  an  acre. 

Drainage  is  the  first  improvement  needed  to  produce  maximum 
crops.  The  tile  laterals  are  usually  placed  from  4  to  6  rods  apart. 
Care  should  be  taken  to  get  sufficient  fall  in  both  laterals  and  mains 
to  carry  away  promptly  the  excessive  rainfall. 

Fall  plowing  should  be  practiced  where  possible,  to  allow  earlier 
work  in  fields.  A  system  of  crop  rotation  to  include  timothy,  clover, 
and  other  legumes,  should  be  followed.  Where  good  drainage  is 
established,  alfalfa  will  make  an  excellent  growth  and  yield.  The 
return  of  all  the  stable  manure  produced,  supplemented  by  S3^stem- 
atic  turning  under  of  green-manure  crops,  should  keep  up  the  fer- 
tility of  the  soils  without  the  use  of  commercial  fertilizers,  except 
where  special  crops  are  grown. 

WEBSTER   SIT.TY  CLAY  LOAM. 

The  Webster  silty  clay  loam,  to  a  depth  usually  ranging  from  12 
to  24  inches,  is  a  black,  sticky  clay  loam.  This  is  underlain  by  a 
layer  of  dark-brown  or  mottled  gray  and  brown,  tough  clay  loam 
or  clay  having  a  thickness  of  a  few  inches.  The  lower  subsoil  is  the 
parent  material  or  glacial  till,  which  has  been  modified  only  to  a  very 
slight  extent  by  leaching  or  oxidation.  In  texture  it  is  usually  a 
clay  loam,  and  in  color  gray  or  a  gray  mottled  with  j^ellow  or  brown. 
Where  the  lighter  color  prevails,  the  lower  subsoil  contains  much 
white,  silty,  floury  material,  and  the  structure  is  quite  friable.  ^ATien 
dry  it  has  a  whitish-gray  color  and  is  either  granular  or  chalky.  In 
places  a  heavy  mottled  or  olive-gray  clay  subsoil  extends  to  a  depth 
of  3  feet  or  more.  A  characteristic  feature  of  the  lower  subsoil  of 
this  type,  whatever  its  color  or  texture,  is  the  presence  of  a  large 
amount  of  lime.     This  lime  has  not  accumulated  in  the  subsoil,  but 


30  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THH   BUREAU   OK   SOn.S,   1910. 

is  lime  of  the  original  ilrii't  whieh  has  not  been  leached  out.  In 
phices  the  surface  soil  is  sulHciently  calcareous  to  effervesce  with  acid, 
but  as  a  rule  the  lime  is  not  abundant  in  tlie  material  within  '20  inches 
of  the  surface.  T^ime  concretions  and  small  shells  are  abundant  in 
the  newly  (lraine<|  ^oij. 

The  local  variations  that  occur  in  the  tyjx'  arc  due  mainly  to  dif- 
ferent conditions  of  drainage..  As  a  rule  the  lower  areas  that  have 
the  most  ivstricted  draina<;e  have  accumulated  a  lar^jer  amount  of 
or^^anic  matter,  and  the  l>lack  color  of  the  soil  extends  to  a  <;reater 
depth,  in  some  places  to  more  than  3  feet.  Small  si)ots  of  Peat  and 
Muck,  too  small  to  indicate  separately,  have  been  included  on  the 
soil  map  within  areas  of  this  type.  In  some  of  these  hnv  areas  the 
soils  are  heavier  in  texture  than  on  the  surrounding  higher  land, 
owing  to  washing  in  of  fine  material.  These  clay  areas,  too  small  to 
map.  are  scattered  throughout  the  type  and  are  locally  known  as 
''  gumbo." 

In  the  narrow  draws  and  sloughlike  areas  of  tlie  morainic  region 
the  subsoil  below  30  inches  usually  consists  of  layers  of  coarse 
gravelly  material,  grayish  in  color.  The  depth  of  the  black  surface 
and  subsurface  layer  varies  from  place  to  place,  ranging  from  15 
inches  to  3  or  4  feet. 

The  interstream  area  between  Eagle  Creek  and  White  Fox  Creek, 
in  the  southern  part  of  Dayton  and  the  northern  part  of  Woolstock 
Township,  mapped  as  AVebster  silty  clay  loam,  while  lying  flat,  con- 
tains a  higlwr  percentage  of  silt  and  sand  in  the  surface  layer  and 
consequently  is  slightly  lighter  in  texture  than  the  typical  soil. 

The  Webster  silty  clay  loam  usually  occupies  depressed  areas  on 
the  flat  interstream  divides,  which  were  formerly  in  a  swamp  con- 
dition or  covered  at  times  by  shallow  water.  They  also  occur  in  the 
morainic  area,  lying  in  undrained  sloughs  and  flats  between  the  hills. 

The  drainage  is  naturally  poor  but  has  been  improved  by  ditching 
over  the  greater  part  of  the  area.  Large  oi>en  drainage  ditches, 
8  to  15  feet  deep,  furnish  outlets  for  the  tile  drains.  Owing  to  the 
impervious  character  of  the  subsoil  these  lateral  drains  should  not 
be  more  than  40  feet  apart. 

When  properly  drained  and  handled  this  is  one  of  the  most  pro- 
ductive soils  in  the  county.  It  has  a  higher  plant-food  reserve  than 
any  other  type.  Puddling  and  baking,  with  consequent  clod  forma- 
tion, will  result  if  the  ground  is  plowed  when  wet.  In  dry  seasons, 
if  the  surface  is  not  stirred  frequently,  large  cracks  develop  in  the 
fields  with  injury  to  crops.  While  the  greater  part  of  the  soil  is 
under  cultivation,  a  considerable  area  is  yet  undrained  and  is  used 
for  hay  and  jjasture  land.  Practically  all  the  wild  hay  produced 
in  the  county  is  harvested  from  this  type. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   WRIGHT   COUNTY,    IOWA.  31 

Grain  farming  is  mostly  practiced  where  this  type  is  well  drained. 
The  soil  is  particularly  adaj)ted  to  corn  because  of  the  high  humus 
content.  Early-maturing  varieties  are  desirable,  the  growing  season 
being  shorter  than  on  higher  lying  and  better  drained  tyi^es.  Short- 
st rawed  varieties  of  oats  are  preferred,  as  they  are  less  likely  to 
lodge. 

Corn  yields  xnry  greatly  on  this  type,  depending  on  the  seasonal 
conditions,  extent  of  drainage,  and  care  given  the  crop.  The  yields 
range  from  25  to  70  bushels  per  acre.  Oats  yield  from  25  to  50 
bushels,  and  hay  from  1  to  2|  tons  per  acre.  Sugar  beets  are  grown 
in  many  places  where  the  surface  has  a  shallow  loamy  covering. 
They  yield  from  10  to  15  tons  per  acre. 

The  Webster  silty  clay  loam  is  generally  associated  in  the  farms 
with  the  Carrington  and  Clarion  types  or  the  Webster  loam.  It 
brings  about  the  same  prices  as  the  Webster  loam.  The  untiled  and 
undrained  areas,  where  there  is  a  possibility  of  drainage,  sell  for 
much  lower  prices,  ranging  from  $150  to  $225  an  acre. 

The  most  important  factor  in  the  improvement  of  this  land  is 
drainage.  Deeper  fall  plowing  and  generous  applications  of  barn- 
yard manure  will  greatly  improve  the  physical  condition  and  tilth 
of  the  soil. 

Narrow  strips  of  land  containing  a  concentration  of  salts,  mostly 
calcium  carbonate,  occur  in  some  depressions  in  this  type,  along  the 
margins  of  Muck  and  Peat  beds  and  the  edges  of  areas  formerly 
ponded.  Corn  and  oats  usually  fail  on  these  patches,  while  other 
crops  are  not  seriously  affected  or  may  even  thrive.  This  alkali  con- 
dition can  be  remedied  by  thorough  drainage.  Stover  and  straw  are 
beneficial  when  ploAved  under  deeply,  and  heavy  applications  of 
barnyard  manure  markedly  improve  the  affected  areas. 

CLARION    LOAM. 

The  Clarion  loam  in  its  principal  characteristics  represents  a 
transition  between  the  Carrington  loam  and  the  Webster  loam.  The 
local  variations  in  the  type  itself  are  due  to  the  different  conditions 
of  drainage  under  which  the  soil  has  been  developed.  In  low  or 
nearly  flat  areas,  where  little  aeration  or  oxidation  could  take  place, 
but  where  conditions  were  favorable  for  the  accumulation  of  organic 
matter,  the  type  has  a  black  soil,  12  to  20  inches  deep,  underlain 
by  a  gray,  highly  calcareous  subsoil,  and  the  soil  profile  approaches 
that  of  the  Webster  loam.  Occasional  iron  stains  and  nuuiorous 
lime  concretions  are  found  in  the  lower  subsoil.  On  the  higher, 
gently  rolling  areas,  where  drainage  has  been  better,  the  surface  soil 
has  a  dark-brown  color  and  is  shallower,  ranging  from  6  to  12  inches. 
The  upper  subsoil  is  a  dark -brown  clay  loam,  which  passes  gradually 


.'52  FlKLl)   OPERATIONS   OF    THH    lU'REAU    OF   SOILS,    HUD. 

iiitd  a  Iti'owii,  iiKHc  I'rialilc  clax-  loam.  At  dcptlis  (if  liO  to  .'iO  inches 
till'  sliirlitly  o.\i(li/.(Ml  glacial  till  is  I'licoiiiitcnMl.  It  is  a  li;i;ht-l)i()\vM. 
yi'llowisli-hrowii,  or  <rrayish-y('llo\v,  I'riaWlc  clu}^  loam  or  silty  clay 
loam.  In  tlu>  rolIin<;  ai'cas  (he  ui)])er  two  layers  are  not  essentially 
different  iVoni  the  coi'respondiiii:-  horizons  <>\'  the  (^irrin^ton  loam. 
The  dill'ert'nce  lietweeii  the  two  types  is  the  pivsence  of  lime  in  the 
sul)st)il  of  the  Clarion  loam,  an  indication  that  leachin<^  and  oxidation 
in  the  Clarion  have  not  reached  to  a  depth  of  3  feet. 

The  two  soil  profiles  described  as  e.xti'emes  of  the  type  are  the 
jirodncts  of  diU'ei'ent  sta<res  of  weatlieiin<;  and  leac!iin<r.  The  type 
passes  on  the  one  hand  into  the  A\'el)sti'r  loam  and  on  the  other 
hand  into  the  Carrin<;ton  loam,  but  between  the  two  are  all  grada- 
tions i-esulting  from  ditrerences  in  the  drainage. 

Some  variation  in  both  soil  and  subsoil  is  due  to  differences  in 
the  composition  of  the  original  drift.  Small  (juantities  of  coarse 
sand,  pebbles,  and  small  Ixjwlders,  composed  of  (juartzite,  granite, 
and  limestone  are  scattered  through  the  soil  and  subsoil  but  are 
usually  more  abundant  in  the  lower  subsoil.  With  this  type,  as 
with  the  Carrington  soils,  are  included  narrow  strips  on  the  crests 
of  ridges  and  on  steep  liill  slopes  where  the  dark-colored  surface 
soil  has  been  eroded  away  so  as  to  expose  the  light-colored  calcare- 
ous parent  till.  Usually  near  the  surface  on  such  areas  pockets  or 
beds  of  sand  and  gravel  are  numerous. 

The  Clarion  loam  occurs  in  all  parts  of  the  county,  but  the  areas 
of  the  type  are  larger  and  more  abundant  on  the  gentle  slopes  to- 
ward the  streams.  Areas  with  the  dark-brown  surface  soil  are  also 
found  on  some  of  the  morainic  hills  where  erosion  has  not  removed 
the  surface  soil  faster  than  weathering  could  take  place. 

This  tjqoe  is  highly  productive.  Before  the  AVebster  soils  were 
drained  it  was  the  most  valuable  soil  of  the  area.  The  high  lime 
content  of  the  subsoil  indicates  that  it  has  not  been  leached  l)ut  has 
all  its  original  soluble  constituents.  Fertilizers  are  not  used,  as  it 
has  not  been  demonstrated  that  the  application  of  any  form  of  plant 
food  is  immediately  profitable.  Over  the  greater  part  of  the  area 
no  lime  is  needed.  It  is  possible,  however,  that  the  surface  soil  in 
some  places  is  acid  and  the  application  of  small  (luantities  would  be 
beneficial. 

The  system  of  farming  on  this  type  is  similar  to  that  followed  on 
the  Carrington  loam.  No  systematic  I'otation  of  crops  is  practiced. 
Corn,  the  principal  crop,  is  grown  for  years  in  succession  in  the 
same  fields.  Clover  is  less  freciuently  grown  than  on  the  Carring- 
ton loam.  Crop  yields  are  slightly  highei'  tlian  on  tlie  Carrington 
loam,  but  lower  on  an  average  than  on  the  well-drained  AVebster 
soils. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   WRIGHT    COUNTY,    IOWA. 


33 


The  price  of  this  hind  at  tlie  time  of  the  survey  (1919)  ranged 
from  $225  to  $300  an  acre.  A  few  well-improved  farms  with  choice 
locations  have  sold  for  $350  to  $400  an  acre. 

The  following  table  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of 
sami)les  of  the  soil,  subsurface  and  subsoil  of  the  Clarion  loam: 

Mechnniral  analyses  of  Clarion  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

sut. 

Clay. 

333710 

Soil 

Per  cent. 
1.2 
1.2 
2.1 

Per  cent. 
4.9 
6.4 
6.8 

Per  cent. 
4.1 

5.8 
5.9 

Per  cent. 
20.5 
27.9 
22.7 

Per  cent. 
18.4 
17.9 
16.4 

Per  cent. 
34.6 
28.1 
30.3 

Per  cent. 
16.4 

333711 

Subsurface.. 
Subsoil 

13.1 

3.3.3712 

15.8 

FAKGO  LOAM. 


The  surface  soil  of  the  Fargo  loam  is  a  dark-brown  to  black  loam 
10  inches  deep.  The  upper  subsoil  is  a  dark-brown  clay  loam  to  clay, 
considerably  mottled  with  gray  and  faintly  with  j^ellow.  Below  28 
inches  the  subsoil  is  a  grayish-brown  or  yellowish-brown  clay  loam 
to  clay,  mottled  highh'  with  gray  and  showing  occasional  iron  stains. 
This  lower  stratum  is  highly  calcareous  and  contains  many  small 
lime  concretions.  Coarse  sand  and  gravel  are  found  in  small  quanti- 
ties throughout  the  soil  profile. 

This  soil  is  developed  on  the  terraces  of  the  Boone  River,  2^  miles 
below  its  point  of  entrance  into  the  county.  One  other  area  is 
mapped,  in  the  southeastern  corner  of  the  county  in  section  24, 
Vernon  Township.    The  total  area  of  the  type  is  only  384  acres. 

This  type  occupies  a  flat  terrace  bench.  Owing  to  its  heavy  sub- 
soil it  is  very  retentive  of  moisture.  The  soil  has  a  high  content  of 
organic  matter  and  produces  good  yields. 

Included  with  this  tj'pe  is  a  small  area  of  Fargo  very  fine  sandy 
loam.  The  surface  soil  is  a  dark-brown,  mellow  very  fine  sandy  loam 
18  inches  deep,  and  the  subsoil  a  dull-brown  to  dark-brown  silty 
clay  loam.  The  latter  is  noncalcareous,  contains  a  relatively  high 
percentage  of  fine  sand  particles,  and  is  loamy.  This  soil  lies  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Boone  River,  where  it  enters  Hamilton  County  about 
2^  miles  west  and  south  of  Woolstock.  It  covers  about  20  acres,  is 
well  drained,  and  is  in  cultivation. 


FARGO   STT-TY   CLAY  LOAM. 


The  Fargo  silty  clay  loam  consists  of  6  to  8  inches  of  black 
tenacious  silty  clay  to  clay  loam,  underlain  by  black  clay  loam  con- 
taining gray  mottlings.     BeloAv  22  inches  the  subsoil  is  a  grayish- 


34 


FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    TIIK    lUTREAU    OF   SOILS,   1919. 


brown  to  ^I'Uowish-hrown  clay  loiuii  having  a  <rrayish  chalky  ap- 
penraiK-e  wlien  ilry.  Calcareous  nodules  are  found  quite  generally 
thr()U<:hout  the  .sul)soil  section.  The  surface  soil  usually  <rives  an 
alkaline  reaction.  The  Mack  soil  stratum  in  places  occupies  the  en- 
tire 3-foot  depth.  The  suiface  soil  is  not  always  uniform  in  texture, 
sand  and  <xra\el  particles  hcinn^  incorporated  in  places. 

The  type  usually  occupies  the  (lat  and  (lei)ressed  areas  at  the  back 
of  the  lower  terraces  abutting  on  the  uplanil.  Narrow  strips  lie  along 
the  Towa  T\iver  through  its  course  in.  the  county,  but  are  nowhere 
continuous  for  any  great  distance.  The  largest  area,  covering  about 
200  acres,  is  situated  on  a  small  creek  2^  miles  southwest  of  the  point 
where  the  Towa  Tviver  leaves  the  county.  Small  areas  are  found  west 
and  south  of  Kagle  Grove  along  Boone  Kiver. 

The  natural  drainage  is  not  suflicicnt  for  maximum  crop  pro- 
duction, and  tile  drains  must  be  used  to  carry  away  the  excess  w^ater. 
Many  of  these  areas  Avere  formerly  ponds,  and  a  few  are  still  un- 
drained.  The  soil  is  very  productive,  crop  yields  being  comparable 
with  those  on  the  strong  upland  soils.  This  type  is  usually  farmed 
in  fields  with  the  sandier  terrace  types. 

The  following  table  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of 
samples  of  the  soil,  subsurface,  and  subsoil  of  this  type. 

Mcrlnniical  aiuiliifcx  of  Favfio  .'^ilfu  clay  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sai*d. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

sut. 

Clay. 

333720             

Soil 

Per  cent. 
0.6 
1.2 
2.6 

Per  cent. 
4.6 
5.2 
5.4 

Per  cent. 
5.0 
5.0 
4.5 

Per  cent. 
16.5 
12.8 
13.7 

Per  cent. 
10.1 
11.1 

8.9 

Per  cent. 

46.8 
43.8 
47.6 

Per  cent. 
16.7 

33272) 

Subsurface.. 
Subsoil 

20.7 

333722      

17.3 

BUCKNER    LOAM. 


The  Buckner  loam  consists  of  a  browm  to  dark-brown  loam,  passing 
at  10  to  14  inches  into  a  yellowish-brown  sandy  loam  to  fine  sandy 
loam.  The  soil  section  contains  coarse  sand  and  small  gravel  at  all 
dejiths.  but  in  greater  quantities  in  the  Iowtf  part.  Small  pieces  of 
white  flint  rock  particles  occur  in  the  subsoil  occasionally.  No 
calcareous  material  is  present. 

The  Buckner  loam  is  underlain  by  gravel  at  4  to  6  feet  below 
the  surface.  Pockets  of  gravel  occur  here  and  there  throughout  the 
type  under  small  depressed  areas,  and  occasionally  can  be  reached 
w-ithin  the  3- foot  section  10  to  20  feet  back  from  the  overflow  lands. 

Among  the  terrace  soils  the  Buckner  loam  is  second  in  extent  of 
area,  the  O'Neill  loam  being  first.     It  occurs  along  the  entire  course 


SOIL   SURVEY    OF    WRIGHT   COUNTY,    IOWA.  35 

of  the  Iowa  River,  begiiininn;  '>  miles  south  of  Belmond,  and  north 
along  the  Boone  River,  beginning  west  of  Eagle  Grove.  A  small 
area  is  found  4  miles  north  of  Woolstock  and  one  to  the  west  of 
Woolstock  along  Eagle  Creek. 

The  areas  of  this  type  are  disconnected  bodies,  irregular  in  shape, 
and  with  a  wide  variation  in  length  and  width.  They  extend  back 
from  the  river  a  maximum  distance  to  a  point  1^  miles  east  of 
Cornelia  Lake.  Two  benchlike  elevations  occur  along  the  Iowa 
River,  the  first  being  about  10  feet  and  the  second  from  15  to  25  feet 
above  first  bottom  or  overflow.  The  surface  is  for  the  most  part 
flat,  with  a  gentle  incline  toward  the  stream,  and  is  little  modified 
by  stream  erosion.     The  drainage  is  excellent. 

Nearly  all  the  Buckner  loam  is  in  cultivation  to  staple  crops.  The 
subsoil  is  fairly  retentive  of  moisture,  and  crops  suffer  from  lack 
of  moisture  only  in  prolonged  droughts.  Only  a  few  farms  con- 
sist wholly  of  this  type.  The  soil  is  mellow,  easy  to  cultivate,  and 
produces  yields  comparable  to  those  on  the  adjacent  upland  types. 
Corn  yields  30  to  50  bushels  in  normal  seasons. 

The  foremost  problem  on  the  Buckner  loam,  as  on  all  porous  ter- 
race types,  is  the  maintenance  of  organic-matter  suppl3^  Much 
barnyard  manure  should  l^e  supplied  to  meet  this  deficiency  and 
increase  the  moisture-holding  power.  Iveguminous  crops  plowed 
under  would  be  beneficial.  Applications  of  lime  should  precede 
clover. 

The  price  of  farm  land  on  the  Buckner  loam  ranges  from  $150  to 
$250  an  acre. 

A  sandy  variation  of  the  Buckner  loam,  occurring  in  several  small 
areas  5  miles  south  of  Belmond,  consists  of  10  to  14  inches  of  brown 
sandy  loam  to  loam,  grading  into  a  yellowish-brown  fine  sandy  loam, 
becoming  lighter  in  color  with  depth.  Considerable  coarse  sand 
and  occasional  small  gravel  are  present  in  the  lower  subsoil. 

This  variation  occupies  a  very  slightly  higher  position  than  the 
typical  Buckner  loam,  with  which  it  is  closely  associated.  This  soil 
is  all  under  cultivation.  It  has  the  same  agricultural  value  and  the 
same  selling  price  as  the  typical  soil. 

O'NEILL    LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  O'Neill  loam  consists  of  a  dark-brown  fri- 
able loam  12  inches  deep.  The  subsoil  is  a  slightly  lighter  brown 
sandy  loam  to  fine  sandy  loam  to  a  depth  of  about  28  inches,  Avhere 
it  passes  into  a  brown  to  reddish-brown  fine  sandy  loam,  containing 
much  coarse  material  and  pebbles.  At  from  30  to  40  inches  stratified 
noncalcareous  gravel  and  sand  are  encountered.  Some  gravel  is 
found  in  both  the  surface  soil  and  upper  subsoil  layers. 


36  FIELD   OPERATION'S   OF    'IIIK    lU'HKAU    OF   SOILS,    1911). 

l*i'actic:illy  nil  i\\v  ( )'Nrill  loiiiii  occiiis  aloii^  i\\v  uj)})or  course  of 
the  Iowa  K'ixcr  and  I  lie  West  liraiicli  in  a  I'ather  continuous  body  7 
miles  lon^'  and  about  1]  miles  wide.  It  is  intersected  l)v  tlie  windin<j;s 
of  the  river  channel.  It  has  a  flat,  henchlikc  surface  and  lies  into  15 
feet  al)o\e  oxcrlhtw.  r>e<;innin^  1  mile  north  of  Bclmond  and  ex- 
tendin<r  northward  nearly  2^  miles  between  the  Iowa  Kiver  and  the 
AN'est  r>ranch  lies  an  older  tei'race  bench  l."*  to  20  feet  al)ove  the 
normal  terrace  level.  The  soil  c()\erin<j:  here  is  shallow,  aliout  12  to 
15  inches  thick,  and  is  underlain  by  coarse  irravel.  Seveial  large 
commercial  «:ravel  pits  are  in  operation  on  this  teri'ace  us  far  south 
as  lielinond.  A  few  small  isolated  benches  aiv  found  along  Boone 
Kivei'  south  of  Kagle  (irove  and  to  the  east  along  Kagle  Creek, 

The  internal  drainage  is  good  to  excessive,  owing  to  the  porosity  of 
the  soil  material.  No  streams  issuing  from  the  u[)lands  cross  the  type 
to  give  it  surface  run-off,  the  rainfall  escaping  thi-ough  |)ercolation 
downward.    In  j)rolonged  dry  weather  the  type  is  somewhat  droughty. 

It  is  all  under  cidtivation  except  the  town  site  of  Belmond  and  150 
to  200  acres  which  have  been  stripped  of  their  surface  covering  in  the 
removal  of  gravel.  Corn  yields  from  25  to  45  bushels  per  acre  in 
seasons  of  normal  rainfall,  and  oats  from  25  to  40  bushels.  Timothy 
and  clover  give  good  returns.  Potatoes  and  truck  crops  ordinarily 
yield  well. 

Land  values  range  from  $175  to  $300  an  acre,  according  to  the  dis- 
tance from  town  and  the  improvements. 

This  soil  is  acid  throughout  the  3-foot  section,  and  applications  of 
lime  would  be  beneficial,  particularly  to  clover.  Turning  under  green 
manures  should  be  practiced  to  supplement  the  available  barnyard 
manure. 

BRKMEU     .SILT     LOAM. 

The  Bremer  silt  loam  is  a  dark-l)rown  to  black  friable  silt  loam 
to  a  depth  of  about  14  inches,  here  changing  to  a  brown  to  dark- 
brown  plastic  clay  loam  mottled  with  gray,  and  below  26  inches  to 
a  yellowish-brown  clay  loam  mottled  with  gray  and  yellow.  The 
lower  layer  contains  fine  particles  of  granite,  gneiss,  and  quartz, 
and  occasional  small  pebbles.  The  surface  soil  in  places  is  relatively 
high  in  sandy  matei'ial  and  api)roaches  a  loam  in  texture. 

This  soil  occupies  low  terraces  on  the  east  side  of  the  Iowa  Uiver 
1  mile  south  and  l]  miles  north  of  Belmond.  The  largest  and 
most  representative  area  consists  of  a  strip  2  miles  long  and  one-half 
mile  wide  along  a  small  creek  south  of  Dows. 

This  type  is  all  in  cultivation.  The  soil  is  mellow,  easily  tilled,  and 
productive,  and  excellent  yields  are  obtained.  Internal  drainage 
is  somewhat  imperfect.     It  can  be  improved  by  laying  tile  drains. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   WRIGHT    COUNTY,    IOWA.  37 


WAtUvKSHA    LOAM. 


The  surface  soil  of  the  Waukesha  loam  is  a  brown  to  dark-brown 
light-textured  loam,  14  inches  deep.  This  is  underlain  by  a  sandy 
clay  loam  which  when  moist  is  yellowish  broAvn  and  when  dry  red- 
dish brown.  Considerable  coarse  sand,  small  gravel,  and  pieces  of 
granite  rock  are  scattered  throughout  the  soil  section.  Very  small 
pieces  of  a  white  rock,  resembling  limestone,  are  also  present,  but 
negative  results  were  obtained  in  tests  for  lime. 

Much  assorted  gravel  is  found  in  tlie  lower  subsoil,  the  texture 
being  a  gravelly  loam  to  clay  loam.  This  soil  diifers  from  the 
O'Neill  loam  in  having  more  clay  incorporated  with  tlie  sand  and 
gravel  in  the  suV)Soil  and  on  tliat  account  being  less  porous  and 
droughty. 

This  type  occupies  the  liiglier  benchlike  terraces  along  the  lower 
courses  of  the  Boone  River  only,  and  occurs  in  disconnected  areas. 
The  original  level  surface  has  been  modified  by  action  of  the  drain- 
age waters  from  the  adjacent  uplands  and  is  now  gently  undulating 
to  undulating.  The  coarse  material  in  the  soil  permits  a  rapid  ab- 
sorption of  rainfall  and  gives  good  internal  drainage. 

All  the  tjqDe  is  under  cultivation.  The  common  staple  crops  are 
grown,  with  normal  yields  comparable  to  those  on  the  upland  types. 
Because  of  the  loose  structure  of  the  soil,  crop  yields  are  affected 
by  prolonged  droughts,  but  these  are  of  rare  occurrence.  Green 
manures  should  be  used  in  addition  to  stable  manure  to  increase  the 
organic-matter  content,  which  is  low. 


WAHASII     I.OAM. 


The  surface  soil  of  the  Wabash  loam  is  prevailingly  a  dark-brown 
to  black  friable  loam  ranging  from  15  to  20  inches  in  depth.  The 
subsoil  is  usually  heavier  than  the  surface  soil,  being  a  dark-brown 
silty  clay  loam  containing  some  fine  and  coarse  sand.  The  entire 
soil  section  is  quite  variable,  owing  to  the  alluvial  origin  of  the 
materials.  Most  of  the  surface  soil  is  reworked  annually  during  the 
spring  overflows.  Consequently,  small  scattered  areas  of  fine  sandy 
loam  containing  varying  amounts  of  coarse  material  are  frequently 
encountered.  Bodies  of  silty  clay  loam  too  small  to  separate  are  in- 
cluded with  this  type. 

The  Wabash  loam  occupies  the  flood  plains  of  the  Boone  River, 
the  West  Branch  of  the  Iowa,  and  the  Iowa  River.  Narrow  strips 
are  also  found  along  Otter,  Eagle,  and  White  Fox  Creeks. 

In  only  a  few  places  is  this  soil  under  cultivation.  Forest  trees 
are  thinly  scattered  over  the  flood  plains,  the  growth  being  heavier 
close  to  the  stream  courses. 


38  Fii:i.n  opERATioi^rs  of  thk  bureau  of  son.s,  1919. 

A  luxiiriimt  <;r()\vtli  of  l>lii('<irass  over  most  of  tliis  area  furnishes 
oxccllont  pasturat^e.  Flowin«r  wells  can  be  obtained  at  most  points 
in  this  type. 

WAHASH     SII.TY      CI.AY      I.OAM. 

Tlic  snrfaco  soil  of  tiie  Wabash  silty  clay  loam  c'(msists  of  8  inches 
of  (lark-brown  to  black  heavy  ^^ilty  clay  loam,  havin<r  a  faint  grayish 
cast.  The  subsoil  is  a  dark-brown  tenacious  clay  loam  to  clay, 
mottled  with  j^ray. 

This  type  occui)ies  poorly  drained  (h'aws  and  depressions  through- 
out the  Wabash  loam  areas.  The  total  extent  is  small,  and  agi-i- 
cnltni-ally  the  type  is  unimportant.  Shallow  water  covers  the 
smaller  areas  during  the  spring  season.  Along  the  upper  course 
of  Otter  Creek,  where  the  stream  channel  is  only  a  few  feet  deep, 
calcareous  material  is  encountered  within  tlie  ;^-foot  section.  Prac- 
tically all  of  this  type  is  used  as  pasture  land,  but  a  little  wild  hay 
is  cut  from  a  part  of  it. 


The  Peat  soil  to  a  depth  of  10  to  18  inches  consists  chiefly  of 
decomposed  vegetable  matter,  forming  a  loose,  spongy  mass.  The 
surface  is  light  brown  to  reddish  brown  when  dry,  but  dark  brown 
under  normal  conditions.  The  underlying  subsoil  is  a  layer  of  black 
tenacious  silty  clay  loam,  varying  from  10  inches  to  2  feet  in  thick- 
ness. This  is  underlain  generally  within  the  3-foot  depth  by  a 
grayish  sandy  clay  to  clayey  sand.  Both  subsoil  layers  are  highly 
calcareous.  Small  white  shells  and  lime  particles  are  present  on  the 
surface  of  the  shallower  beds. 

The  natural  develojiment  of  the  Peat  is  in  shallow  undrained 
basins,  ponds,  or  lakes,  in  which  a  dense  growth  of  sedges,  rushes, 
and  other  aquatic  plants  abound.  The  decay  and  accumulation  of 
the  plant  leaves  and  fibrous  roots  form  a  loose,  porous,  semidecom- 
posed  vegetable  mat.    In  this  raw  stage  it  is  of  no  agricultural  value. 

The  Peat  areas  in  the  county  have  nearly  all  been  drained,  many 
of  them  only  a  short  time.  In  some  of  the  large  areas  the  accumula- 
tions are  4  to  5  feet  deep  near  the  center  of  the  basin.  As  a  rule, 
the  depth  does  not  exceed  '20  to  24  inches,  and  in  many  areas  of  smaller 
size  the  layer  has  a  thickness  of  only  6  to  14  inches.  A  considerable 
proportion  of  silt  and  clay  is  found  mixed  with  the  vegetable  matter 
in  the  smaller  areas. 

The  Peat  is  widely  distributed  over  the  county,  in  areas  ranging 
in  size  from  one  to  several  hundred  acres.  The  two  largest  areas 
are  located  1|  miles  west  of  Dows  and  onedialf  mile  east  of  Wall 
Lake.  Patches  too  small  to  map  occur  in  wet  draws  and  small 
depressions  on  many  farms  in  the  heavier  black  soil  areas. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   WRIGHT   COUNTY,   IOWA.  39 

Narrow  strips  containing  alkali  concentrations  occur  along  the 
margins  of  many  of  the  Peat  areas.  Thorough  drainage  by  means 
of  tile,  deep  plowing,  and  heavy  applications  of  manure,  are  effective 
means  of  correcting  this  alkali  condition. 

Millet  and  timothy  give  good  yields  on  both  deep  and  shallow  Peat, 
producing  from  1  to  2^  tons  of  hay  per  acre.  They  are  the  most 
profitable  crops  on  the  newly  drained  land.  Some  farmers  grow 
flax  as  the  first  crop  and  obtain  a  fair  yield. 

Corn  and  small  grains  do  not  do  so  well.  Corn  makes  a  rapid 
growth  for  a  few  weeks,  then  becomes  stunted  in  growth  and  pro- 
duces small  nubbins.  This  is  usually  caused  by  the  presence  of 
alkali  salts  which,  if  concentrated,  cause  the  leaves  to  turn  yellow 
when  the  plant  is  about  1  foot  high  and  checks  further  development. 
Smair  grains  usually  lodge  before  the  grain  can  ripen.  Sugar  beets 
are  being  grown  successfully  on  beds  that  have  undergone  consider- 
able decomposition.  The  beets  grow  very  large  and  yield  from  15  to 
18  tons  per  acre.  Potatoes  are  grown  on  a  few  acres,  generally  for 
home  use.    Weeds  cause  considerable  trouble  where  grain  is  grown. 

The  plan  of  seeding  the  land  to  timothy  and  alsike  clover  after 
draining,  and  pasturing  heavily  for  several  years  before  growing 
crops  has  been  found  to  give  the  best  results.  Thorough  drainage 
is,  of  course,  the  first  essential  in  reclamation.  Deeper  plowing  will 
hasten  the  decomposition  by  permitting  deeper  weathering  and  oxi- 
dation. Applications  of  phosphate  and  potash  might  be  profitable 
when  special  crops  are  grown. 

MUCK. 

The  surface  soil  of  Muck  is  in  general  similar  to  that  of  Peat,  the 
chief  difference  being  the  more  advanced  stage  of  decomposition  of 
the  vegetable  matter  in  the  case  of  Muck.  The  material,  when  dry, 
is  loose  and  fluffy,  and  the  color  generally  black.  Considerable  min- 
eral matter,  mostly  silt  and  clay,  is  incorporated  around  the  edges  of 
the  Muck  deposits,  having  been  washed  in  from  higher  adjacent  soil 
areas.  A  covering  of  Peat  2  to  3  inches  deep  is  present  on  some  of 
the  smaller  spots.  An  alkaline  reaction  is  obtained  in  many  cases 
from  the  surface  soil  of  beds  that  have  been  recently  drained.  Fine 
lime  particles  and  white  shells  lie  scattered  over  the  surface  of  some 
areas.  The  subsoil  below  18  to  20  inches  is  a  black,  sticky,  calcareous 
silty  clay  loam  to  clay,  which  passes  at  34  to  40  inches  into  a  duU- 
grajdsh  clay  loam  to  clay.  Occasional  pockets  of  sand  are  encoun- 
tered in  the  lower  depths  of  the  3-foot  section. 

Since  the  separation  of  Muck  and  Peat  is  based  upon  the  state  of 
decomposition  of  the  vegetable  matter,  the  distinction  is  necessarily 
arbitrary  in  many  cases.     Where  the  vegetable  matter  is  so  finely 


40  FIELD  OPERATIONS  OF   THE  BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1919. 

(li\i(I('(l  thai  till'  iilirous  iiiiitciinl  and  plant  tissues  can  not  l)e  identi- 
lii'd,  the  classilication  Muck  has  been  given.  Black  Peat  is  the  name 
h)cally  a])i)lied  to  Muck. 

"Muck  is  (K'xeloped  in  small  areas  scattered  over  the  entire  county. 
It  occupies  low,  formerly  ponded  areas  and  undrained  sloughs  where 
water  now  stan<ls  fi'om  4  to  15  inches  deep  the  entire  year.  Where 
these  inundated  heds  occur,  uuirsh  symbols  are  used  to  indicate  the 
condition.  Many  of  the  Muck  areas  have  been  drained  and  are  under 
cultivation.  The  poorly  drained  areas  all  support  a  more  or  less 
dense  growth  of  water-loving  grasses,  cane,  and  rushes. 

Muck  gives  fair  crops  of  corn  on  well-drained  fields  that  have  been 
in  cultivation  several  seasons.  Timothy  and  clover  yield  well.  Sugar 
beets  are  gi'own  successfully  on  a  number  of  small  areas.  These  soils 
are  especially  adapted  to  onions,  celery,  and  truck  crops. 

Where  crops  are  injured  and  retarded  by  concentrations  of  alkali 
salts,  manure  should  be  applied  after  adequate  drainage  has  been  es- 
tablished. 

SUMMARY. 

W^right  County  is  situated  just  north  of  the  center  of  the  State 
of  Iowa  and  has  an  area  of  575  S(|uare  miles,  or  368.000  acres. 

The  land  surface  is  that  of  a  broad,  level  drift  plain,  broken  in 
the  eastern  half  by  scattered  hills.  The  county  varies  in  elevation 
from  1,008  to  1,240  feet  above  sea  level. 

A  belt  of  high  morainic  hills,  beginning  in  the  north-central  part 
of  the  county  and  extending  in  a  general  southeasterly  direction, 
forms  a  drainage  divide  between  the  Iowa  River  on  the  east  and 
the  Boone  River  on  the  west  side  of  the  countJ^  These  two  rivers, 
with  their  few  tributary  streams,  constitute  the  drainage  system. 
Over  most  of  the  county  the  drainage  is  sluggish  to  poor. 

The  first  settlement  in  the  county  was  made  in  1854  near  the 
present  town  site  of  Woolstock.  The  1920  census  gives  the  popula- 
tion of  the  county  as  20,348.  A  little  more  than  64  per  cent  of  the 
population  is  classed  as  rural. 

Good  railroad  facilities  are  supplied  over  the  county,  giving  direct 
communication  with  Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Omaha,  and  Sioux  City 
markets. 

Eagle  Grove,  Clarion,  Belmond,  Dows,  and  Goldfield  are  the 
principal  trading  centers.  Local  shipping  points  are  conveniently 
distributed  over  the  county. 

The  mean  temperature  for  smnmer  is  70.5°  F.,  and  for  winter, 
17.5°  F.  The  mean  annual  rainfall  is  32.36  inches.  This  is  nor- 
mally distributed  so  that  all  staple  crops  of  the  region  thrive.  The 
growing  season  extends  over  an  average  period  of  152  days. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   WRIGHT   COUNTY,   IOWA.  41 

The  principal  industry  in  Wright  County  is  agriculture.  It  con- 
sists mainly  of  grain  farming  combined  with  the  raising  and  fat- 
tening of  live  stock.  The  chief  crops  are  corn,  oats,  and  hay.  Hog 
raising  is  the  most  important  live-stock  industry.  Many  carloads 
of  cattle  and  a  few  of  sheep  are  shipped  in  annually  and  fattened 
for  market. 

There  were  1,927  farms  in  the  county  January  1,  1920,  having  an 
average  size  of  178.8  acres.  In  recent  years  tenant  farms  have 
rapidly  increased  in  number.  At  present  only  45.5  per  cent  of  the 
farms  are  operated  by  owners. 

Substantial  homes  and  auxiliary  farm  buildings  are  found  in  the 
county.  Rural  mail  and  telephone  service  is  good.  Excellent  rural 
schools  are  accessible  to  all  communities. 

Farm  lands  bring  a  cash  rent  of  $7  to  $15  an  acre  and  sell  for 
$160  to  $400  an  acre,  depending  on  improvements  and  location. 

The  soils  of  Wright  County  are  classed  in  nine  series  and  are 
represented  by  16  types,  including  Peat  and  Muck.  They  are  pre- 
vailingly dark  brown  to  black  in  color,  and  loams  in  texture.  The 
Carrington,  Webster,  and  Clarion  series  occupy  the  upland  division. 

The  Carrington  loam  is  one  of  the  more  extensive  types  in  the 
county.  It  is  particularly  adapted  to  corn  and  oats.  Timothy, 
clover,  wheat,  and  barley  are  also  grown.  The  Carrington  sandy 
loam  and  fine  sandy  loam  occur  in  the  niorainic  region  in  areas  of  Car- 
rington loam.  These  soils  are  rather  loose  and  open,  lighter  colored, 
contain  less  organic  matter,  and  are  generally  less  productive  than  the 
heavier  types. 

The  Webster  soils,  which  are  first  in  extent,  are  black  in  color, 
productive  and  durable.  They  occupy  the  broad,  level  prairies  and 
all  require  artificial  drainage  for  maximum  production.  When  well 
drained  they  are  the  strongest  and  most  productive  soils  in  the 
county.  The  silty  clay  loam  lies  in  the  flat,  poorly  drained  depres- 
sions, many  of  which  were  formerly  sloughs  or  ponded  areas.  The 
Webster  loam  is  gently  undulating  to  gently  rolling  and  has  better 
natural  drainage.    These  soils  are  characteristically  calcareous. 

The  Clarion  loam  is  a  heavy,  dark-brown  to  black,  mellow  soil, 
very  productive,  and  better  drained  than  the  Webster  soils.  The 
soil  profile  is  similar  to  the  Carrington  loam  to  a  depth  of  30  to 
34  inches,  where  a  yellowish-gray  calcareous  layer  is  encountered. 

The  alluvial  second-bottom,  or  terrace,  types  are  included  in  the 
O'Neill,  Buckner,  Waukesha,  Fargo,  and  Bremer  series. 

The  O'Neill  loam,  Buckner  loam,  and  Waukesha  loam  have  a 
rather  loose,  open  structure,  and  crops  thereon  are  subject  to  injury 
in  prolonged  droughts.  All  staple  crops  are  grown  and  in  normal 
seasons  give  good  yields,  though  slightly  lower,  than  yields  on  the 
upland  types. 


42  I'lKIJ)    OI'KKATIOXS    OK     IIIK    lU'HKAlT    OK    SOILS,    1!>1!>. 

rii(.'  I'Mi'^^d  Ittiiiii  and  l'':ir;in  silt  V  ilay  Niaiii  occiipv  Hat  or  tlejirossi'd 
tnracr  posit  idiis  ami  aiv  naturally  poorly  draint'd.  When  liandlid 
piopcily  tliry  arc  sti"oii<j;  and  pi-oducti\e. 

rill-  lirciut'i'  silt  loam  is  inoxtcnsive,  lies  Hat.  jind  has  a  heavy  suh- 
soil.     In  piodiirtiM'iiess  it  is  (•()nipai"al)le  to  thi'  \\'('l>ster  loam. 

'I'he  ^^'al»asll  loam  is  the  only  lirst-hottom  tvi)e  in  this  county.  It 
is  subject  to  overflow  annually  and  is  practically  all  used  for  [)asture. 

The  Muck  and  Peat  soils  occur  in  formerly  ponded  areas,  sloughs, 
and  old  lake  beds.  They  consist  of  ))artially  decomi)o.sed  vepetal)le 
matter.  When  drained  and  |)roperly  handled  for  a  few  years  they 
can  be  made  to  produce  excellent  crops, 

o 


[I't'BLlC  RESOlArriON — No.  9.] 

JOINT  RESOLUTION  AiHomliiig-  public  resolution  inimbored  eight,  Fifti'-sixth  Congress, 
second  session,  approved  February  twenty-tliird,  nineteen  hundred  and  one,  "  providing 
for  th»  printing  annually  of  the  report  on  field  oiwrations  of  the  Division  of  Soils, 
Depaj-tment  of  Agriculture." 

Resolved  hy  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United  States  of 
Anieriea  in  Conyrcss  assembled,  That  public  resolution  numbered  eight,  F"ifty- 
sixth  Congress,  second  session,  approved  Feltruary  twenty-tliird,  nineteen 
hundred  and  one,  be  amended  by  striking  out  all  after  the  resolving  clause  and 
inserting  in  lieu  thereof  the  following: 

That  there  shall  be  printed  ten  thousand  five  hundred  copies  of  the  report  on 
field  operations  of  the  Division  of  Soils,  Department  of  Agriculture,  of  which 
one  thousand  five  hundred  copies  shall  be  for  the  use  of  the  Senate,  three 
thousand  copies  for  the  use  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  six  thcmsand 
copies  for  the  use  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture :  Provided,  Tliat  in  addi- 
tion to  the  number  of  copies  above  provided  for  there  shall  be  printed,  as  soon 
as  the  manuscript  can  be  prepared,  with  tlie  necessary  maps  and  illustrations 
to  accompany  it,  a  i"eport  on  each  area  surveyed,  in  the  form  of  advance  sheets, 
liound  in  paper  covers,  of  which  five  hundred  copies  shall  be  for  the  use  of  each 
Senator  from  the  State,  two  thousand  copies  for  the  use  of  each  Representative 
for  the  congressional  district  or  districts  in  which  the  survey  is  made,  and  one 
(housand  copies  for  the  use  of  the  Dei)artment  of  Agriculture. 

Approved,  March  14,  1004. 

LOu  July  1,  1901,  the  Division  of  Soils  was  reorganized  as  the  Bureau  of  Soils.] 


